Spellbound Heart
by thepinkcupcake
Summary: Harry Potter was sent into hiding by Dumbledore. The Cullen's? His new protectors. When Bella Black - immortal Veela - is sent to help them, Edward's world is changed irrevocably. Strong mating connection. Rated M for language, lemons and laughs. Sequel is up.
1. Meeting Bella

**AN: I've had this story buzzing around in my head for months now and finally set aside some time to write it. It's finished already, I'm just editing it and posting it when I find the time. Sorry about the long note, but my Bella character is going to need an explanation.**

**I hate the angst that poor Edward suffers in the twilight series, so in this story, I've made Bella a Veela. Sounds simple enough, but in my story, Veela are immortal. They're exactly like hybrid vampires (Renesmee) but without the bloodlust. **

**I just thought Edward could do without all of the angst and worry.**

**Anyway, enjoy it – and let me know what you think!**

* * *

EPOV:

The whole house was buzzing with excitement about the new arrival - Isabella Black, a member of the Order of the Phoenix, was due to arrive at any moment. Dumbledore had arranged for her to stay with our coven while we protected Harry. I honestly wasn't too fussed about her coming here at all, but Alice and Esme were nagging me constantly to come downstairs and greet her when she arrived, so I did as they asked and headed downstairs only to be met with my buffoon of a brother, Emmett.

"Eddie! Looking forward to the new girl coming? Heard she's a hottie! Time to get your leg over man!"

I didn't have a chance to reply before Rosalie hit him and Harry sighed.

"Emmett, I know that you have heard stories of Veela, but Isabella isn't like others of her kind. Please don't insult her. I've know her for years now. She's my family. Her father is my God-Father. She's risking her life to protect ours. You would do well to remember that."

With that he pushed away his cereal and stormed out of the room.

"Ow, Rosie. I was only messing with Eddie. What's with the human?" Emmett whined.

"What do you think, moron? He's got enough going on without you being an ass!" She hit him again for good measure and stormed out too.

I heard a resonating 'pop' from the living room and went to investigate. A trunk sat there, and a cage containing an owl. These must be Isabella's things. Before I could blink, Harry apparated into the room and opened the cage.

"Wotcher, Vesper" he murmured. The owl hooted appreciatively and nipped his finger before settling on his shoulder. By this point the whole family had congregated around the owl.

"Vesper, these are the Cullen's. They wont hurt you. I've set up an owlery outside. Hedwig is out there too if you want to see him." With one final nip, the owl flew out the window, presumably to see Hedwig. Harry pulled out his wand and waved it at the remaining items.

"Locomotor trunk." With a flourish, the trunk began to glide upstairs into Laney's room. We had seen Harry perform magic before, but it didn't stop us all from watching in amazement every time he performed what he called 'simple' spells. He turned back to us and we met his gaze.

"Bella should be here in a minute. I should warn you, though – her magic is far more advanced than mine. She doesn't need to say the incantations aloud to perform them, so don't be scared if things begin to move on their own, okay? Also, don't be alarmed by how she looks. She is going to attract your attention without even realising it. It's not her fault. She's a Veela. She's designed to be attractive. The more time you spend with her, the easier it is though, ok?"

We all nodded in agreement and sat down to await her arrival. We didn't have to wait long before we heard another 'pop' by the front door. Harry rose from his seat and went to greet her. We couldn't see their reunion from our seats, but could hear them clearly.

"Wotcher Harry. Merlin, will it ever stop? You must have grown a foot in the last six months!"

Her mind was completely closed to me. She must have been an accomplished Occlumens, but her voice betrayed her immortality. It was ethereal – like bells.

"Bella! You have no bloody idea how good it is to see you! Come in, come in – I'll introduce you to the Cullen's."

"So the neck nibblers haven't eaten you yet, then?"

We all shared a chuckle at her comment. She seemed completely at ease in a house with a coven of Vampires. I suppose she would be. A veela could quite easily destroy us 'neck nibblers'.

Harry walked in first and we all rose to greet her. She came into the room a few feet behind him. I was completely stunned by her beauty. We all were. We had known that Veela were unrivalled in their looks, but I had no idea that it would be so obvious. I felt myself completely drawn to her – unable to avert my eyes from her face. Was everyone feeling like this? She was without a doubt, the most beautiful creature I had ever seen.

I managed to drag my eyes away long enough to glance at the others and found myself happy to find that they too could not avert their gaze. As though it were commanded, my eyes snapped back to her face and I lost myself in her eyes once again.

Harry spoke, finally.

"Everyone, this is Isabella Black. Bella, these are the Cullen's."

Alice seemed to compose herself the fastest and slammed into Bella, giving her a massive hug for someone so tiny.

"Bella! I'm so sorry. Did I hurt you? I wasn't thinking! I'm just so excited to meet you! I'm Alice by the way. We're going to be be best friends – I've seen it!"

Isabella seemed completely unfazed and chuckled at her exuberance.

"I'm ok Alice, really. So you're a seer?"

She answered at a hundred miles per minute, still clinging onto Bella's waist.

"I sure am and we're going to be best friends. I've seen it! Jazzy over there is an empath – although he can't read your emotions for some reason."

She walked further into the room and saw 'Jazzy'

"Hello Jasper, it's nice to meet you. Does this belong to you?"

She pointed to Alice, who was still gripping Bella like she was afraid she would disappear.

"You too, Darlin'. I'm glad you're finally here. Alice has been climbing the walls, waiting for you."

She didn't get a chance to reply before she was picked up and swung around the room. Apparently she loved the speed because she kicked her legs and squealed like a child.

"Belly-Boo! We heard you fucked up a couple of death eaters. How'd you do it?"

Again, she didn't get a chance to answer before Rosalie smacked him on the back of the head.

"Emmett, you idiot! Put her down before you hurt her!" He lowered her to the floor and looked appropriately chastised.

"Sorry, Isabella. My husband is an oaf. The next time he does that, feel free to hit him... and I'm glad that you're ok..." Rosalie said with a small smile.

All of us were staring at Rosalie in astonishment. "What?" She snarled at us. "I can be nice."

Alice decided to intervene before someone pissed of the ice princess. "Bella this is our mother, Esme."

"It's lovely to meet you Esme. You have a beautiful home."

"Thank you, dear. It's so nice to finally meet you. You've had my children tied in knots all week with curiosity. I've heard so much about you."

"Harry has told me all about you, too. Thank you for looking after him. I understand how much danger you are putting yourselves in. We truly are grateful."

Was this girl completely selfless? She was in more danger than any of us now that she was directly training and protecting her adopted brother.

"This is Edward, Isabella."

I shook myself from my reverie and found that she was moving towards me. She held her hand out and I took it. I tried to say 'hello' to her, to say anything – but my mouth couldn't form the words. An electric current was pulsing through my hand where my skin met hers and I was completely spellbound – absolutely mesmerized by this magnificent creature.

"Hello Edward. It's nice to meet you."

Her voice was so beautiful that I actually gasped quietly. What the fuck is wrong with me?

Alice seemed to sense my discomfort and chose that moment to speak up.

"Well we don't have much time before school, so we'll have to go over our cover story, quickly, and then head off."

The next hour was spent rehashing our cover story. We all knew it and I had very little input. I spent the entire time trying to pretend that I wasn't affected by Isabella's dauntingly beautiful face or her silken voice. Everyone else seemed to be adjusting to her presence – coping with her otherworldly beauty. Why the fuck couldn't I? I don't understand it at all.


	2. Getting to know you

I stomped off upstairs to change for school and re-emerged just as everyone was piling into the two cars. I would be travelling with Bella, Harry, Jasper and Alice. I tuned out the small talk on my way, focusing solely on the road in a vain attempt to appear nonchalant to our new arrival.

I pulled into my usual spot in the lot and watched as drones of high school students began slowly creeping towards the Volvo, desperate to see the new girl. I internally sighed. If she attracted that much attention from _Vampires_ who are used to paranormal beauty, the humans didn't stand a chance! I climbed out and opened the door for the girls anyway. No matter what I was thinking about her arrival, my mother had raised me to be be a gentleman. I held my hand out and helped Alice from the car. She was immediately swept into Jaspers protective arms. Next came Bella. _Fuck! She smells incredible_. Nothing like food, but I suppose that she wasn't any more human than I was. I took her hand and felt the electric current again. What the fuck_ was_ that?

I briefly debated asking my brothers for some insight, but then quickly decided that the merciless teasing that would follow wasn't worth it. I would just suck it up and ignore it.

"Thank you Edward."

Gorgeous brown eyes pierced my own and I was once again dumbstruck by this Angel.

"No problem, Bella," I managed to squeak out. Would I ever be able to talk to her without embarrassing myself completely? If she noticed my problem, she very graciously decided not to say anything. She simply let go of my hand and went to stand with Harry. I watched her out of the corner of my eye. She had taken a slightly defensive stance next to him. Not noticeable to the human eye, but our kind knew what she was doing. Her body was ever so slightly angled towards him. Her hand twitching almost imperceptibly towards her pocket, where I assume she has stowed her wand.

"Easy killer," Emmett said. "The only thing you will need to defend yourself against, are the hoards of horny teenagers heading this way. Should we go in?"

I looked around and realised that he was right. How the fuck had I not noticed this? Or heard their voices? Almost at once hundreds of tiresome voices - both thoughts and conversations, flooded my head.

"_Fuck – what I wouldn't give to tap that!"_

"_Ha! Like she's look twice at you, Mike!"_

"_Hey fuck you, Crowley." _

"_I'm making it my personal fucking mission to have that on my bed and spread." _

I growled low in my chest. Everyone looked over at me questioningly but I shook my head, not wanting to have to explain their perverse thoughts. Loathsome little fucks, the lot of them. Like any of them could get a woman like Isabella. She could literally have any man she wanted and she's not even trying.

She re-emerged with her timetable, a frown forming across her forehead. I wanted to smooth it out with my thumb.

_I'm officially turning into a fucking sentimental queen. I need to get the fuck away from all these mated couples!_

Before I could insult myself into oblivion any further, Bella spoke again.

"I have a question. What is _Calculus_?"

Harry burst out laughing while we all looked confused. Had she not studied maths at all during her childhood? Harry managed to control his laughter long enough to explain.

"Bella is a Witch. She didn't attend elementary school like most humans do. She was home schooled. While I was learning about English, Maths and Science, Bella here was watching her Mother turn pin cushions into hedgehogs."

We all laughed at his observation. Could you really do things like that? I had never seen Harry perform anything that complex.

"Bella, Calculus is Maths. You'll get a calculator to help you with the hard questions."

"What's a calculator?" Her bewilderment was even more apparent. I couldn't hold it in any longer and chuckled loudly.

"It's a machine that helps you add and subtract numbers. Do you remember when Mr. Weasley took apart that square thing to see the batteries?" She nodded and gestured for him to continue.

"That's a calculator. Just don't take it apart! That's not how it works. You have to push the buttons on the front. I've got calculus with you, I'll help, okay?"

She looked scared but nodded before speaking again.

"This sounds awful. I should have just bought a quick cheat quill."

A what? I was about to ask but Harry interrupted.

"I've got a spare one here. I needed it for Spanish. You should be ok with that though, right? Your mother taught you languages as a child."

"Mhmm. Spanish I can do."

They gave a fist bump before we all walked off to homeroom. The boys tedious thoughts on Bella followed us all the way to the classroom. I surreptitiously looked at her timetable over her shoulder. I only had one class with her - Chemistry. She would be my lab partner – I sat at the only table with an unoccupied seat.

I followed her through the minds of others all morning, watching the way she interacted with the students. They all had questions for her and she played her part flawlessly. By the time lunch arrived, half of the male population imagined themselves in love with her already – the other half were too busy imagining her in provocative positions to think of much else at all. _Revolting creatures._

She came into the cafeteria, arm in arm with Alice. They were both giggling, talking about Bella's life in London. She was even more beautiful, if it were possible, when she was smiling. Jasper caught my emotions and raised his eyebrow. I shrugged it off and mouthed 'Veela'. He seemed to accept my explanation and went to help Alice with her tray.

Bella sat in the only available seat – between myself and Harry. Her scent was even more potent this close to me. It was _stunning_. She smelled of freesias and strawberries. I was trying to drone out the minds of the students around me when I caught the conversation she was having with Harry.

"Yes, but it's more of a flick, I think. I've never done it but I can try?" Bella questioned.

"Give it a go. It's not like it will poison them. If it doesn't work, they wont want to eat it." Harry replied.

"What are you talking about?" Emmett asked. Bella was the one to answer.

"I was just asking Harry if he had tried the Edilis spell. It enables Vampires to eat human food. As far as I'm aware, it will smell and taste the same to you as it does to humans."

This was possible? Why hadn't Harry said anything before? As if he had heard my thoughts he responded.

"Don't look at me, mate. This is way beyond my capabilities. I told you that she was gifted, didn't I? You've seen nothing yet."

Bella blushed profusely and lowered her head. How could someone so beautiful and talented be so _modest_? She genuinely doesn't think anything about herself is particularly special. Most women would use their charms to their advantage – she seems oblivious to hers.

"But won't we have to be sick afterwards?" _Charming, Emmett._

"No, your body will absorb it, if she does it right. You'll burn it off like you would blood."

"Do it, Bella. Please?" Alice was practically vibrating in her seat.

Bella exposed the tip of her wand from her sleeve. She said nothing, but a second later a slight breeze passed over the table. I was about to ask her what had happened when I realized that I could smell the food that was on my tray. I picked up the slice of pizza and examined it. It smelled incredible, but I was too nervous to taste it. Emmett, however, was not. He took a fork, speared some pasta and shovelled it into his mouth.

"Oh _fuck _me! That's fucking _incredible_. Shit! Rosie, baby. You have _got_ to fucking try this!"

She warily took a bite from his fork and her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

"So good," she murmured around her mouthful. She offered nothing else as she took her second bite.

Alice and Jasper followed soon after, both too showing their new found appreciation for human food.

I gingerly picked up the pizza again and brought it to my lips. I took a tiny bite and nearly swooned at the taste. It was incredible. So many flavours. So many textures! I swallowed and eagerly took another bite, then another.

Harry was in hysterics, but Bella just smiled at us, knowingly. I think she may have realised just how much this meant to us. Just how much we missed our humanity.

Emmett was about to go and get another tray of food when Bella leant across the table and grabbed his arm.

"Emmett, that's not a good idea, honey. You only have so much space in your stomach. If you eat too much you will be sick, sweetheart."

He looked positively crestfallen at her statement. She smiled at him and rubbed his arm.

"I'll tell you what. Can you wait a few hours? Your body needs to burn off the food you've already eaten. After school we can go to store and you can buy _any_ food you like and I'll make it edible for you, okay? You could even get popcorn and watch a movie if you like?"

Popcorn and a movie? Such a human thing to do! Something I _had_ done as a human. Something we all wished desperately that we _could _do.

Before any of us could reply, Rosalie and Alice threw their arms around Bella's neck. If they could cry, tears would be streaming down their faces.

"Thank you, Bella."

"You'll never know what this means to us."

Emmett gave her a bear hug and Jasper threw a wink her way. I didn't get a chance to do or say anything as the bell rang. Chemistry with Isabella.

I stood up and offered her my hand as my siblings departed. Harry once again bumped her fist, slung his bag over his shoulder and walked away. She grabbed my hand and rose from her chair with unbelievable grace. I let go quickly and tried not to look at her. I wanted to try and have a normal conversation – something I seemed unable to do when I met her eyes.

"So have you studied anything like Chemistry before?"

I felt her gaze shift towards me, but I kept my eyes firmly towards the ground. Impolite, but necessary.

"Yes, actually. This is one of the few subjects that I may be able to understand. At my _previous_ school, we studied potions, which I _loved_. I'm hoping that this will be somewhat similar or else I'm screwed."

I chuckled at her. She was adorable when she cursed. It sounded so wrong coming out of her sweet mouth. _Sweet? Adorable?_

"Well I don't think that you'll be able to turn pin cushions into hedgehogs, but if you mix up the wrong chemicals, you'll certainly be able to make a big bang." _Make a big bang?_ Slick, Edward. Fucking _moron_.

Thankfully, she seemed to truly have been raised as a lady. No matter how many times I messed up in front of her, she never showed that she noticed, although I'm sure that she did. She is very astute. She gracefully side stepped my miserable joke and carried on as normal as we took our seats.

"Well at any rate, potions is great fun. There's an antidote for pretty much everything."

"You sound as though it was something you enjoyed." She just fucking said that! Literally. In those exact words! Fuck my immortal life. She was about to respond when I cut her off, rudely.

"Look, Bella, I'm sorry. I'm not usually this socially inept. I seem to be completely incapable of talking to you without embarrassing myself and I don't know why. Please do not mistake my abruptness for rudeness. I just can't seem to get a sentence out without tripping over myself and now I'm rambling on..."

She cut across me before I could finish.

"Edward? Please. It's ok, really. Has Harry told you about his friend, Ron?"

I wondered where she was going with this, so I just nodded, still too embarrassed to speak.

"Ron has a brother – Bill? I'm not sure if he's been mentioned at all. Bill is engaged to my cousin, Fleur - she's a half veela. She's absolutely stunning. Everything she does captures the attention of everyone around her and she knows it."

She giggled as she spoke of her. She was obviously fond of this Fleur. I had heard about her, she was supposed to be pretty, but had nothing on Bella, according to Harry. I could believe that.

"Anyway, Ron has spent _months _around Fleur and still can't be in her presence without blushing. It's really sweet. My point is that you're not doing anything wrong. It will pass."

"I've heard the stories. Harry told us that a veela can bring a man into complete compliance with a single look – that he would be willing to do _anything_ for her. To be _anything_."

"Yes. We're capable of that. It's disgusting, isn't it? To take away a mans free will? Please rest assured that although I could, I never would. I'm determined to be different. I'm waiting for my mate."

"You and I have something in common then." I acquiesced.

"There's nothing wrong with waiting to find _the one_, Edward. Even if it takes a thousand years. She'll be worth it. Everyone else will pale in comparison and you'll be so glad that you waited. But that's just my opinion."

She was so young, but her mind betrayed her maturity. She truly was very intelligent and I found myself questioning century old beliefs because of her.

"May I ask you a personal question, Bella?"

"Of course."

"You say that you are searching for your mate? I didn't know that there were male Veelas? Or do your kind mate with humans. I'm sorry if this sounds rude, I'm just curious."

She wrinkled her nose slightly and smiled at me. I was dazzled again.

"No. There are no male Veelas. Our kind can be with humans if they wish. But we're better suited to immortals."

"I don't understand."

"Did you know that I'm blood related to a vampire?"

"That's not possible."

"Yes. It is. A male vampire can impregnate a veela."

"Carlisle has run tests. Male vampires are infertile, Bella." Why would she lie? If there was a way, Carlisle would have found it.

"Male vampires are frozen during their transformation - but like I said, Veela have their own magic. A long time ago, there used to be an antidote to Vampirism, one of the ingredients was Veela blood. Most of the ingredients have long since become extinct, but Veela blood is more potent than Vampire venom. Our magic somehow unfreezes the sperm and they are very much fertile. Not to any woman – but to a veela."

I couldn't believe what she was telling me. It was impossible. Why had we never heard of this? It had never been documented at all.

"You said that you were related to a vampire? Who?"

"My grandfather ."

"Your grandfather? As in biological grandfather?" This was not real.

"Yes, Edward," she giggled, "my grandmother was his mate. They fell in love 180 years ago and were happily mated for all that time. Apparently it was quite a shock when she found out that she was pregnant with my mother."

"Explain."

She was full on laughing at me now, but I didn't care. This was incredible. I could see through their thoughts that she had the attention of all of my siblings, too.

"It was a normal pregnancy, though perhaps a little shorter than a human pregnancy. My father was born with no complications, or side effects, though we both share a love for undercooked meat. Perhaps my grandfather imparted some of his eating habits our way?"

I chuckled and shook my head. This was incredible! Carlisle was going to be fascinated. The bell rang before I could ask anything else of her and I realised just how rude I had been with my probing questions. She must think that I'm a complete dick. I asked her nothing about herself – just pumped her for information.

We met my siblings at the car and Alice came bounding over.

"You'll have to excuse Edward, Bella. Despite what he said, he_ is_ socially inept and didn't realise how rude he was being in chemistry. No matter how cool it is, he should have been more polite."

Harry raised his eyebrow in question and Bella answered him.

"Vampire and Veela impregnation."

"Oh."

That was it. That was his only response. Was he not fascinated? I realised then that this was all _normal_ to them – to Bella especially. She was raisednot just around the supernatural, but _by_ the supernatural. Her grandfather was a vampire!

My siblings and I were silent on the way home, each lost in our own thoughts regarding Bella's revelation.

Harry and Isabella were lost in an in depth discussion about training. Bella had been asked by Dumbledore to help Harry with his defensive and non-verbal spells.

I pulled into the driveway and Alice and Emmett were out of the car like a shot – both wanting to be the one to tell Carlisle and Esme about Bella's grandfather, about the food we ate and enjoyed today. I could hear their shock and disbelief as Emmett raided the cupboards in search of food for Bella to transform into something edible.

Esme scolded him and told him that he would have to wait until dinner time. At this I lost it completely. I fell onto the living room floor in hysterics. What a human thing to say! It wasn't long before everyone else joined me.

Alice managed to compose herself enough to offer an in depth explanation to Carlisle's questions.

"Harry was right, she's absolutely incredible, Carlisle. I've never seen anything like it."

Rosalie jumped in at this point, too.

"She's so modest, as well. If I could do half of what she does, I'd show the world!"

We all glanced outside and saw Harry and Bella starting their first lesson. They had changed into strange robes. They both wore matching red and gold cloaks. Bella's had 'Black' emblazoned on the back, Harry's had 'Potter'. They both wore red trousers and jumpers, but where Harry's was loose fitting, Bella's was skin tight and hugged every curve on her body. She looked incredible.

"Okay, Harry. You can do this."

"I can't. The wand chooses the wizard, Bella. It just won't do it for me!"

"It chose you but you _command _it. It gave you it's allegiance. Do you forget that as a child you performed wand-less magic? Your wand in nothing but a stick without you, Harry. But you are a magician either way. Magic runs through your veins. Don't will it to work. _Command it_. You are it's master. Again!"

He aimed his wand directly at Bella and yelled;

"Stupefy!"

A jet of light flew from the top of his wand and hit Bella squarely in the chest. She flew through the air and landed gracefully on her feet twenty yards away. Was he insane? He could have hurt her. I had an irrational urge to run over to her and make sure that she as ok. Jasper once again sensed my emotions and raised a quizzical eyebrow at me.

"What? He just hurt her!" I didn't care what he thought – what any of them thought. I just wanted to throttle Harry. Before I could say anything, Bella walked back over to Harry.

"Brilliant, Harry. Really well done. Again."

For the next half an hour, Harry hit Isabella with that spell again and again. After watching a few times, my worry for Bella and irritability with Harry grew exponentially. Jasper, feeling that I was about to blow, took pity on me and asked them what they were doing. Bella, seemingly oblivious to my misery, answered him cheerfully.

"Stupefy is a stunning spell. When used correctly, it can disarm your opponent and send them flying, which usually injures them for long enough for you to run like a bat out of hell."

Emmett thought it was great fun and was desperate to try.

"But you're not injured, Belly-boo!"

"I'm not human, Emmett. To a human, this spell would feel like being punched in the chest and sent flying. To me, I'm sent flying, but I barely register the punch."

My nerves calmed considerably after hearing that. He wasn't hurting her. She couldn't feel it. Emmett was hopping around from one foot to the other by this point.

"My turn! I want a go!"

Harry stood in front of him, raised his wand and once again yelled out;

"Stupefy!" Emmett moved, but barely.

"Hey! What happened? I think you did it wrong!"

"No, I didn't. I'm sure I didn't. Bella? What happened?" Harry asked.

Bella looked on in amusement.

"You're trying to hex a _vampire_, Harry – with a _minor _spell."

"Oh. Yeah. My bad."

"What do you mean 'my bad'? I want a go! Why won't it work?"

"Sorry, Emmett, you're not human. This spell wasn't designed for vampires. Your skin is impenetrable so I wont be able to use it on you. But Bella could? She's a veela. Her magic is much more powerful than mine."

We all turned to look at Isabella who shrugged and nodded.

"If you like. I'll give it a go. I'm not sure if it will work properly though."

That was apparently all the persuasion Emmett needed. He nodded his head vigorously and crouched in front of Bella. She spun on the spot and brought her arm in a wide arc over her head much more gracefully than Harry – no incantation was said before the same red light appeared, this time out of Bella's wand and flew at Emmett.

It hit him squarely in the chest. A breath huffed out of him at the impact before he flew through the air at an inhuman speed and crashed through the trees a hundred yards behind him. He reappeared instantly in front of Bella. All of us, bar Harry, stared at her in absolute disbelief. Harry spoke first.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I please introduce you to my personal bodyguard, Miss Isabella Black? Fierce for a tiny little thing, isn't she?"

We all nodded, absolutely dumbfounded. She was absolutely incredible.

"Belly-Boo! That was fucking awesome! Do it again!"

So Bella and Harry worked together to bring Emmett to his knees over and over again. You would think that it would get boring after a while, but that shit could never get old. It was only when Harry's stomach started to rumble, did Esme call us all inside.

"So, Emmett? I believe I promised you some popcorn?"

From Emmett's thoughts, I could tell that he loved Bella already. He thought of her as a little sister. Someone he would love to protect – not that she needed it.


	3. Unfamiliar stirring

We were preparing to watch a movie – Lord of the rings. Bella and Harry had never seen it, but were sold on the idea when they heard that there was a wizard in it.

Everyone took their places on the sofas, leaving Bella and I to sit on the oversized armchair together. Technically it was a loveseat. It was big enough for two people – if they were mated. As soon as she sat down, the entire right side of her body would be pushed up against the left side of mine. The thought pleased me much more than it should.

Bella waved her wand at the buckets of popcorn and I knew that she had made them edible. I could smell their delicious scent from here. She grabbed one of the buckets and walked seductively over to our seat. I couldn't take my eyes off the sway of her hips – she had no idea what she was doing to me. When she finally reached the armchair, she bent over to put the bowl in my lap – affording me with a completely unrestricted view of her cleavage. _Fuck!_

I tried to look away. I tried to be the gentleman that my mother had raised, but I couldn't. I physically couldn't tear my eyes away from her incredible body – and for the first time in my entire existence, I felt myself grow hard. I was absolutely panicking. I had never had an erection before. Never. Now I finally get one and I'm sitting in a room with an empath and a seer. Just as this thought springs into my mind, Alice and Jasper look over to me and wink simultaneously.

_Fuck. My. Life! _I was about to stand up and leave the room when Bella sat down next to me. I could feel every line of her body pressed against mine and I couldn't make myself move. She was so _warm_. Bella, it seemed, didn't feel the cold at all. Perhaps it was because she was as supernatural as I am. Heat was radiating off her entire body and searing into mine. If I never had to move again, I would be happy for the rest of eternity.

Bella pulled out her wand and swished it through the air... moments later, the lights went out. As soon as it was dark, the electric current that I felt when we touched hands began to flow freely between both of our bodies. Could she not _feel _this? My breathing was becoming laboured and I desperately tried to slow it down as the movie began. Alice was shaking with laughter into Jasper's shoulder and I vowed to burn her entire wardrobe after the film was over. She obviously saw that vision as a certainty as she soon stopped laughing.

I just about lost all semblance of control when Bella reached over to grab some popcorn from the bucket that she had placed in my lap, straight over my now prominent erection. I was already straining against my jeans and the added weight of her hand on the bowl was incredible. I threw my head against the back of the sofa desperately trying to be a gentleman but wishing for any sort of friction. Anything. I felt my arousal double and snapped my eyes over to Jasper who was making out with Alice across the room. Didn't he realise what he was doing by projecting his lust onto me? I fisted my hands on my thighs and growled at him. Bella heard me and looked up at me through her long lashes, innocently biting her bottom lip. Fuck. I want to bite that lip. I needed to get away from here – try to sort my head out... both of them.

My thoughts didn't get much further than that though, as the movie ended and Jasper turned the lights back on. The electric current dimmed slightly and I was able to regain some control. I looked over to Alice beseechingly, begging her to do something that would take the lime light off my current situation, but it was Jasper that leapt to my rescue.

"Sorry about the overdose or lust, kids, I always get the warm and fuzzies when the lights go out – I'll try not to project it next time."

He _lied_ for me. He knew that it was my lust that had set him off in the first place, but he took the blame. I owed him. _Big time_. I nodded my head at him, almost imperceptibly. I would thank him later. I glanced at Bella who seemed to have believed Jaspers story and was talking quietly to Harry.

Glad that she was distracted, I turned on my heel and fled the house. What was it about this girl? How did she affect me so easily? She was sort of like a little sister, wasn't she?

_Brothers don't get hard over their sister's cleavage! _

I had hoped to get to know her better tonight. She had caught my interest inexplicably and I couldn't seem to keep my thoughts off of her for more than a few minutes. She was beautiful, of that there was no doubt. She was witty and intelligent. She was an extremely gifted witch. She was selfless in her defence of Harry and modest of her talents and she was probably waiting to meet someone who would sweep her off her feet and love her the way she deserved. Someone _warm_. _Human_. Their heart would beat for her and she would be theirs – not mine.

_Fuck!_ I slammed into a tree and proceeded to beat the ever living shit out of it. What the fuck is wrong with me? Why can't I get her out of my head? I slid down to the ground and lay my head in my hands. The remnants of the tree lay in shreds at my feet. I had no answers to my questions. I felt no better for releasing my anger. I had finally met someone who sparked _any_ sort of reaction in me – and she doesn't even know I exist.

_More to the point, why would she even look at someone like you? You're a murderer. A monster without a soul. You would take away her sunlight and bring her nothing but darkness. _

My self-loathing continued until the early hours of the morning. I stayed in the forest, wrapped in my own thoughts. When I couldn't stand the irritating sound of my own mind anymore, I picked myself up off the floor and began the run back to the house. As I approached there were no thoughts at all. The family was hunting, still. I strained my ears and heard a heartbeat. _Two_ heartbeats.

_She was home._

I opened the glass door to the back of the house and crept up to my room. It was partitioned with glass to make room for Isabella, so I peered into her side of the room. She was there, happily unpacking her belongings from her trunk.

Hundreds of books now lay outside our door. Moving portraits in expensive guilt frames, sat on the floor alongside them. The occupants greeted each other with an eerie familiarity. Bella herself was in a few of the portraits, as was Harry. This must have been her family.

She looked up and smiled a megawatt grin at me.

"Good hunt, Edward?"

I must have looked confused so she gestured to my clothes. I glanced down and grimaced. I had never felt more inhuman. My shirt was torn, my pants were covered in mud and debris from the tree I had torn apart. She must have thought I was an animal.

"Just releasing some steam," I answered vaguely. "Your room is looking good."

"Thanks! I have so much stuff – I don't know where to put it all."

I was undeniably confused. How on earth had she fit it all into her trunk? It defied the laws of physics in every way.

"I have to ask. Where did it all come from?"

"I used an undetectable extension charm. You can fit an incredible amount of things into a tiny space. I was going to use it on this room, too."

She pulled out her wand and silently cast a spell that began literally expanding the walls. I jumped in shock and she grabbed my hand.

"It's ok, Edward."

She squeezed my hand and let it go. I missed the warmth immediately. The room grew to three times it's original size before she stopped.

"The best thing about this charm is that you can't tell anything is different from the outside. The structure of the building wont have changed to anyone except me. It's – as it's name suggests – completely undetectable."

I looked around in absolute awe. Next to go, was my old furniture. Having nowhere to put it, she shrunk it all and put into an old shoe box in the closet. I sat down on the floor and watched her as she worked. Now that she had a completely blank canvas to work with, she stepped over to her trunk and began searching for something.

"Accio paint."

It flew out of her trunk and she deftly caught the offending tin right before it hit me in the face. Realising that she wouldn't have enough, she multiplied the tin and set the rollers to work, seemingly painting the walls all on their own.

Next she pulled out and expanded an oak sleigh bed which was swathed in blue velvet. A chest of drawers, a desk and bedside tables followed soon after. All of them miniature versions of their original forms.

"Engorgio."

They expanded to their proper size and with a flick of her wand, fell into place neatly. The room was slowly starting to look like hers. The rollers finished their work and the walls were now a beautiful shade of light blue. She mounted a wall bracket and hung her broom on it. I moved closer and read the inscription that was etched onto the side of it – the Firebolt. I recognised it immediately. Harry had one, too. He claimed that it was the fastest broom in the world, claiming speeds of 0-200 in three seconds.

With one final swish of her wand, her many books flew into the shelves, the moving portraits hung themselves on the walls. The remaining personal items found places on any available surface. Nothing seemed to stay still. She had hundreds of knick-knacks that I didn't recognise. All of them seemed to be under some sort of magical enchantment.

I picked up a large glass ball and nearly dropped it when I saw hundreds of shadows, _people_, trapped inside it.

"It's a sneakoscope. It shows me my enemies. You can tell if they are nearby by the shadows. If they are all black, you're safe. It's when you can see the white in their eyes that it's time to run."

I glanced up at her and was completely lost for words. Harry had _nothing_ like this.

"I'm sorry, Bella. This is all just a little daunting. I've never seen anything like this."

"Do you want me to put it away? I don't want you to be uncomfortable in your own home."

_Way to go, asshole! Now she feels like she can't be herself around you. _

"Not at all. It's fascinating, truly. I just didn't know that things like this existed."

"Has Harry not put his things out?"

"I've been in his room and I've not seen anything remotely like this..."

"Hmmm." She offered no further explanation than that.

"I'm going to get ready for school. I'll see you downstairs?"

Was it that time already? I never even had the chance to ask her about what she did last night. I desperately want answers to my questions. I headed to my own shower and stood under the spray.

She's incredible. Everything about her draws me in and I can't seem to stay away no matter how much I think I should.

I dried and dressed myself quickly and padded downstairs in search of everyone else.

Bella and Harry were cooking breakfast for anyone that wanted it. It seemed that Bella was happy to bewitch every meal for us, should we want to eat. Of course after hundreds of years of consuming nothing but blood, everyone wanted some. Apparently, they were making bacon omelette. It smelled _vile_. Obviously she hadn't made it edible for our kind, yet.

I sat down on one of the stools for the first time ever and watched the two of them at work. They were laughing and flicking water at each other. There was an easy familiarity about them. They were obviously much closer than Harry had suggested. He had spoken of a girl named Ginny – his first love. He let her go to protect her. Did he have feelings for Bella? Did she return them? The mere thought made my long-dormant blood boil. I clenched my fists and listened to their conversation.

"Seriously! George swallowed the entire thing and ended up with boils all over his bum! It was the funniest thing I have ever seen – and I was there to see toad face fall over in Fred's portable swamp!"

Harry was now laughing so hard that tears were relentlessly streaming down his face. I hadn't seen him so much as smile in his six months here. Bella was obviously important to him.

"Shit! What happened?"

"Mum walked in and saw George with his trousers round his ankles and Fred peering at his brothers arse! She asked them if they needed any help and then walked away laughing!"

By this point both of them were struggling to breathe and everyone had gathered in the kitchen, just watching them. Bella served up the omelette and cast her charm over it. It went from revolting to delicious instantly. We wolfed it down appreciatively and ran out the door. We were going to be late.

Isabella grabbed mine and Alice's hands before turning to Harry.

"Apparate?"

"Hell yeah! To the woods?"

She nodded and turned on the spot. The next thing I knew, I was sucked into the darkness. I felt as though I was being squeezed into a tube. Not a second later, the sensation was over and I opened my eyes. We were in the forest outside the school. The warning bell rang as Bella dropped my hand, winked at us and walked into the parking lot.

Harry appeared two seconds later with a very confused Emmett, Jasper and Rosalie. He, too, walked off after Isabella.

It was Emmett who broke the silence.

"Never a dull moment, eh? Fucking awesome!"

He ran off after Harry and Bella and high fived them both. We all followed silently. Was anything in our world as simple as we thought? I guess not.


	4. The meadow

The morning passed slowly as I eagerly awaited lunch time. I kept trying to tell myself that I wanted to taste some more food, but I knew that in reality, I wanted to see Bella. I was listening to the minds of the ignorant children around me, when I heard a new voice enter my head. _Bella's_.

_These children are so strange. I thought that Mike Newton was dating Jessica Stanley? If so, then why wont he leave me alone? Does he have no sense of loyalty towards her?_

I couldn't believe that I could finally _hear_ her –her mind was was usually closed to me. I listened again, desperate for some more insight into my strange veela. _My_ strange veela? I thought back to Rosalie's words all those decades ago.

"_I knew, the moment that I laid eyes on Emmett, that he was supposed to be mine."_

The idea of Bella being my girl, though, was undeniably pleasant.

Her mind, which had been thinking singularly of Mike Newton, suddenly split into several different thought patterns simultaneously. She was like _me_. Able to think of many different things at once. Definitely not human. She seemed to be singing a song about potions. A magical periodic table.

_There is Plimpy eye and pond slime,_

_Sulfervive and lacewing fly._

_Add a touch of Dragons eye,_

_Just don't forget the Beetle bile._

Another section of her brain was recounting the Quidditch world cup final. She recalled an unpleasant interaction with someone named Draco and his father. She remembered an impressive dive that she knew as the 'Wronski Feint'. She recalled Harry paying for the Omnioculars, Her friends Fred and George pranking anyone they came across... the detail was exquisite. She had perfect recall, too.

The bell rang and I trudged to lunch, listening keenly to Bella the whole way there. She was now thinking about transfiguration. She wanted to try and shape shift into an animal. I got to the table, still listening intently, when Jasper burst my bubble.

"Hey, Bella! I can read your emotions!"

Her shield slammed down over her mind and she grimaced. Harry nudged her gently with his arm.

"You ok? It's not like you to let you guard up."

"Just needed a break. It's tiring keeping it up all the time."

"Tell me about it. Try doing it when you're human!"

I hadn't known that magic was tiring. Why bother doing it at all. There were no death eaters around. Before I could stop myself, the jealous words came tumbling out of my mouth...

"Who's Draco?"

It was Harry who answered my question.

"Draco Malfoy is without a doubt, the most disgusting excuse for a wizard I've ever met. He's a death eater now. Bastard. He enjoyed tormenting everyone at Hogwarts. Anyone who wasn't a pure blood was 'unworthy'. He seemed to like Bella, though."

I stiffened at this. Did they date? Honestly? The idea of _Bella_ having any sort of dating history was repulsive to me.

"Shut up Harry. Like I would touch that weasel. Bludger hexing idiot."

Her cheek lifted and they both began laughing uncontrollably.

"What a fuck."

"A total fuck."

They shared a fist bump and carried on eating their lunch. Harry's mind replayed the same vision of Bella punching Draco during a Quidditch match. Apparently he had rigged the game so that the bludgers would attack the Griffindor's. Bella was beautiful in her anger.

When Chemistry rolled around, I was in much better spirits. Bella and Harry had entertained us all with stories of Hogwarts during lunch. There was so much to learn! I walked closely to Isabella on the way to class. She was talking animatedly about a ghost in the castle who had been aptly named 'Nearly Headless Nick' after his was beheaded – badly.

We walked into the classroom and I steered her into her seat.

"I'm sorry about bringing up Draco. I didn't realise it was a sore subject for you." I teased.

"Don't worry about it, Edward. It's not your fault that he's an utter shit."

She was undeniably cute when she cursed. My mind slipped temporarily into dangerous territory as I imagined what it would sound like if she were to curse while I was fucking her relentlessly.

_I've gone over to the Dark side. I'm no better than Mike Newton. Kill me now. _

Chemistry usually bored me, but it was quickly becoming my favourite time of the day. My hour with Bella. Everything about her fascinated me. I was drawn to her in every way. We had a substitute teacher this period. Our usual teacher, Mr. Banner, had called in sick. We were told to use the period to study or catch up on homework. I used the time to talk to Bella.

We spoke about everything. I told her about my transformation, my parents, my disdain for my vampire life. She in turn, told me about her childhood, her family and her life at Hogwarts. She was an absolute fountain of knowledge and I wanted to hear it all.

"I don't need to sleep. If I'm injured, sleeping will help me to heal faster, but other than that, it's just a pleasant thing to do."

"You should do it as often as you can. I would give anything to be able to shut my brain down for a few hours."

She looked at me sympathetically and smiled. I wanted to question her further, but the bell rang. We walked to the lot together and then I remembered that we had no car. Bella and I wanted to run back, so Harry offered to Apparate everyone else. We walked into the forest for a few hundred yards. We wanted to make sure that none of the humans saw us run. As soon as we were far enough in, we both broke into a sprint. Bella took off like a shot. She was unbelievably fast. As quick as _me_! We ran, laughing, for miles.

"Edward, I have no idea where we are! I'm trusting your navigational skills!"

"Don't worry, I know where we're going."

I didn't want to go back to the house yet – I didn't want to share her yet. I wracked my brain for any way to delay us when inspiration hit.

"Do you want to go somewhere special?"

"Sure! I just want to keep running!"

I laughed and changed course slightly. I felt Bella follow on after me. I saw the clearing up ahead and slowed to a human walk.

"Go straight ahead, Isabella."

She walked straight into the meadow and trailed her hand through the wild flowers that grew freely here. The sun shone onto her and only intensified her beauty.

"It's so beautiful, Edward."

She turned and looked at me questioningly – probably wondering why I hadn't followed her into the sunlight. Truthfully? This moment was so perfect that I just wanted to hold onto it for one more minute. Slowly, I stepped into the light. When she said nothing for a full minute, I raised my eyes to meet her gaze only to find that she wasn't looking at me at all. She was sitting in the middle of the meadow, humming, making daisy chain bracelets for each wrist. She was trying to put them on, but it was difficult with only one hand.

I walked over to her slowly - when the light began throwing prisms off of my skin in her direction, she never even flinched. I sat down next to her while she fiddled with her flower bracelet. Her nose was wrinkled in annoyance, so I moved my hand very slowly over hers and took the daisies from her. I watched her face carefully for any sort of reaction to my skin, but she continued to hum her song and stare at the daisies. When I attached the ends together around her wrist, she raised her head and smiled at me beautifully.

"Thank you, Edward. All this supernatural power and magic - yet I was defeated by a flower."

I smiled at her – she was a vision, swathed in sunlight with flowers in her hair and on her wrists.

"This reminds me of my childhood. My Grandpa would play with me in his garden as a child. We used to save our outdoor days for when the sun shone. Not because the weather was nicer, but because I loved to see him sparkle. We used to sit and make daisy chains for hours."

I listened to her talk for hours – she was reminiscing about her childhood, but she looked so _content _near me... so completely relaxed... and I realised that I felt the same. Her scent, though incredibly beautiful, didn't sing to me. My throat didn't burn at all in her presence. I wouldn't hurt her if I held her too tightly. I didn't need to explain why I lit up like a disco ball in the sunlight. My sparkling skin was _comforting_ to her. It reminded her of her beloved grandfather... another Vampire. There was nothing about me that scared her – because I wasn't a threat to her at all. It was unbelievably refreshing.

Eventually though, the sun began to drift behind the clouds and the heat from the day began to cool. Our afternoon in the meadow had been filled with stories and laughter. We had played and ran... and I had never felt so light. Eventually, though, even the best days have to end. When the first few drops of rain began to flutter down from the sky, I reluctantly turned to Bella;

"We should get you inside before the storm hits."

She never answered me, but took hold of my hand as we ran home in the rain. When we arrived back at the house, I reluctantly let go of her hand and we went our separate ways. Bella had planned more spell training with Harry and I was being dragged away hunting for the evening with my brothers. I changed into some old clothes and met my them by the car. We were heading to goat rocks wilderness, looking for some big game. As soon as the car was out of hearing range, Emmett broke the silence.

"So, what do you guys think of Bella?"

I was reluctant to answer yet. I wasn't ready to explain my feelings, yet. Thankfully, Jasper provided an intervention.

"She seems nice enough. I don't like not getting a read on her emotions though. It's the easiest way of proving her loyalty."

This pissed me off to no end and I had to jump to her defence.

"She's done nothing but make our lives better so far. She gave us back _food_ for fuck sake! Besides, Harry trusts her."

"So you're willing to pin our safety on the judgement of a seventeen year old boy?" Jasper quipped.

"Dumbledore trusts her – so do the Order."

"She's related to most of them!"

Emmett chose to diffuse the situation – for once offering some sensible insight.

"Well I like her. More to the point, _Rosalie _likes her. She's got a sixth sense about these things. She can spot a bitch a mile away! I'm gonna give her the benefit of the doubt. If she turns out to be a total nutter – well we're stuck with her until the order says otherwise anyway – but what if she's not? What if she really _is _that lovely? That willing to make our lives just a little bit better? That determined to risk her life to protect ours? Am I going to fuck that up because I'm scared of the unknown? Fuck no. Take each day as it comes, man."

I think that both Jasper and I were stunned into silence. Who knew that Emmett could be so eloquent? There was no happy medium for Emmett. He always dealt with shit as it was thrown at him and then moved on right after. He just made that great speech and has already forgotten about it – already searching the radio for some 'tuneage' – his words, not mine. We could all learn a thing or two from him.

Two moose and a mountain lion later and I was eager to get home. We had only been gone for a few hours and I was willing the time to pass. I wanted to see Isabella.

"You ok man?" Jasper interrupted my musings, probably feeling my emotions roll all over the shop. I shook my head at him, trying to find the right words.

"What am I feeling right now, Jasper?"

"Honestly it's hard to get a grip on one emotion before it swings to another. You're feeling things I've never felt from you before. Intrigue, worry, fear... envy? Your self loathing seems to have double since Bella arrived. For the first time in fifty years, I'm feeling lust from you brother... you've never felt that before ."

"I can't get her out of my mind. I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I looked at him and probed his thoughts. They seemed sincere. I felt no teasing or ridicule in his mind.

"She's different, Jazz. She's so unbelievably beautiful."

He nodded in agreement and sat down next to me before I continued.

"Everything she says ensnares my mind. She completely captivates me. She's so witty and snarky. I _love _the fact that she curses constantly, but she's still _so _lady-like."

"That's not surprising, brother. Her father is your age. She was raised by a man with the same morals that you have." Jasper responded.

I nodded at him. I hadn't known this. It makes sense, I suppose, if her family are immortal, there is no time limit on creating a family.

"She values the mating instinct."

"What are you talking about?"

"She's a _veela_. Is anything I'm feeling even real? Is she doing this to me?"

Jasper sucked in a quick breath. His thoughts were too fast- too disjointed for me to pick up.

"Have you read Carlisle's book on Veela studies?"

I shook my head. I hadn't prepared for Bella's arrival at all.

"They are, essentially like us, Edward. Their hearts beat and they don't need blood, but they too, are immortal. Her beauty calls to all of us Edward, but not enough to make me question my love for Alice. If you're developing feelings for Bella, they're your own. She isn't influencing them at all."

I didn't want to admit that I spent most of my time mentally undressing her, but I was mollified slightly. He carried on talking, seemingly unaware of the battle that raged in my head.

"I can feel the relief rolling off of you in waves, man. Can I make a suggestion?"

"Sure. I'm open to anything at this point."

"Just go with the flow and see what happens. If she's your mate, well, I suggest you read the book in Carlisle's office."

Jasper walked over to me a put a hand on my shoulder.

"I've changed my mind about Bella. In the fifty years that I've known you, we have never _once_ talked like this. I think of you as a brother, Edward, but you've always been so closed _off –_so separate to the rest of the family. She's been with us less than a week and you're already changing for her. You're trying to be more. To deserve her. You're questioning if she's your mate? I would say most definitely, Edward."

He was right. I had never fascinated or obsessed over _anything_ before. Nothing garnered my interest or piqued my curiosity for more than a passing moment. But Bella came into my life and suddenly, I feel _hope._ Hope for _more._ I didn't reply as Emmett came into the clearing. I knew that our serious moment was over as soon as he said;

"Dude, that bear is mangled! I totally squashed his fucking head."

We both burst out laughing as he gestured for us to come and have a look. Life was so simple to Emmett.


	5. Wash away my sins

We pulled up in front of the house a few hours later and I immediately went inside for a shower. I was filthy and the last thing I needed was Bella to see me looking like a total savage.

_If she's your mate, she'll accept you as you are._

I smiled at the thought. _My mate!_ I stepped into the shower and watched as the various debris swirled down the drain. What did I do now? Jasper had advised that I 'go with the flow', but what did that entail? I wanted to see her as soon as possible. I knew that she was in the house – her mind was blocked to me, but I could hear her talking to Harry and Jasper about defence.

After dressing in lounge pants and a baggy tee, I plodded down to the living room in search of Isabella. She was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, sandwiched between Jasper and Carlisle. When she saw me come in, she beamed a beautiful smile at me.

"Edward! Did you have a nice hunt?"

How do I answer that without freaking her out? She can't possibly be interested in my slaughtering the local wildlife.

_Just as you are, Edward. _Honesty it is, then...

"I did, actually. It's nice to hunt larger game once in a while. That must sound quite strange to you..."

She shook her head and smiled again.

"Not at all. Grandpa is always trying different blood – his favourite is Dragon blood, though. You must be a neat eater – he always comes home covered in mud from head to toe!" She giggled.

I shuffled my feet – nervous about being honest with her.

"Actually, I _was_ covered head to toe in mud. I showered as soon as I got in – I didn't want to scare you or Harry." I admitted honestly.

She laughed and glanced at Harry briefly;

"Well I can't speak for Harry, but I love being around Vampires. It reminds me of home. I'm great with the supernatural – it's the muggles I don't understand."

_Just as I am. _I beamed my own smile straight back at her and Jasper winked at me knowingly.

Harry perked up, too and addressed me;

"I was raised by muggles, Edward – but I'm not one. You have to understand that Bella – the closest thing I'll ever have to a sister, is a Veela... as is her Mother. Bella's grandfather is a Vampire. My Godfather is a hybrid, his best friend is a werewolf and one of my closest friends is a half giant."

He smiled at me before continuing;

"For nine months out of the year, Bella and I live in a Castle where the Ghosts float in and out of the classrooms all day, the suits of armour talk to you, the paintings guard the doorways and the house-elves wash your socks. Really, mate – being a Vampire is quite boring compared to all that. Sorry." He shrugged apologetically.

It was instinct for me to reject their easy acceptance. I had told myself for ninety years that I was a monster, condemned to a half life – but their obvious sincerity caused me to pause. Shit, Harry thought being a Vampire was so ordinary that it was _boring! _I smiled at them, to show my thanks and Bella turned back to Carlisle and carried on her conversation.

"I just think that some added defence would prove useful. We're up against the elite, here. They have been trained _by _the best to _be _the best. They are using new magic all the time. _Dark_ magic. I can defend myself against some of their spells, but most, I would never have heard of. Their magic is evil and not commonly used by a decent person."

Apparently, she had Jasper at 'defence'. It was his forte after all. His whole life had been dedicated to evasion and strategy techniques.

"What did you have in mind, Bella? Can you outline their strengths? Their weaknesses? It will help us to plan better." Jasper keenly probed for more information.

"The order believes that his Army grows stronger every day. He doesn't need to bully people into following him anymore – he just places them under the Imperious curse. It's easier for Voldemort. There is no chance of treachery, when you are bewitched to do his will unknowingly."

She stood up and started pacing, before continuing.

"His Army is not entirely human. We know that he has collected Giants, Vampires, Werewolves and shape-shifters alike. For every able bodied man that he collects, he also gains the loyalty of their family. No one would risk the lives of their loved ones. He has completely infiltrated the Ministry. We don't trust anyone there at all anymore. Our allies may not be our allies for much longer."

She paused and gazed at Harry intently, who was studiously fascinated by the seam on his jeans.

"Harry is our best hope. It is imperative that he should be protected at _all _costs. I do not say that because he is my family. He truly is 'The Chosen One' and Lord Voldemort will stop at _nothing_ to have him. We cannot let him. I will not let him."

Harry met her eyes and smiled sadly at her. He had lost so much in his short life – I was glad that Isabella and her family had taken him in as their own. I felt sorry for the poor fuck who tried to separate them. Bella, we had all learned quickly, was _not_ to be fucked with.

"I can arrange to have the Order, place the house under more serious protection, but the most important plan is to have an evacuation procedure in place. If our location is betrayed, the death eaters can be here in minutes, from anywhere in the world. We need to be able to get everyone away as soon as possible."

I spoke up this time;

"Where would we go?"

"I've arranged a safe house for us all. It's safety and protection is absolutely guaranteed. No one can get in, because I wont let any one out."

"How can it be guaranteed?" Carlisle asked.

"Because the only person who knows it's location is me. It is well hidden – in an undisclosed location. I am the secret keeper and I have no intention of telling anyone so much as the door number."

Harry burst out laughing and offered a swift fist bump, which Bella immediately returned before continuing;

"If anyone should locate us at the safe house, you'll know that I'm dead. I made an unbreakable vow. I cannot utter the address of the house, so no one can find Harry there."

Everyone had joined us by this point, but it was Emmett who asked the question that was plaguing us all.

"What's an 'unbreakable vow'?"

Harry was still recovering from her revelation, but pulled Bella into his arms and hugged her fiercely. He turned to Emmett, while still holding Bella and answered;

"It's a solemn promise, Emmett. A magical bond that cannot be broken."

"What happens if you break it?"

"You die," Harry whispered.

Harry turned back to Isabella while we all reeled with shock. He grasped her chin in one hand and forced her to meet his eyes.

"This is too much," Harry whispered. "I'm going up to my room."

Harry gave Bella a quick squeeze before leaving the room and heading upstairs. His mind showed that he wanted some space to digest all this new information. With Harry gone, we all turned to Isabella, who sank back onto the sofa and buried her face in her hands. It was Esme who broke the silence.

"Bella, dear. You are taking on too much. You need to rest."

"I need to run – to think. I need a plan."

She turned towards me and lifted her shield;

_Do you mind if I borrow your meadow?_

"Not at all. Would you like some company?"

She nodded at me and took my hand. The entire family, bar Jasper, seemed surprised by our show of intimacy, but I didn't hang around long enough for them to question it. I pulled on Bella's hand and dragged her out of the house.

We ran in silence until we reached the Meadow. She let go of my hand and began pacing furiously through the clearing with her hands on her hips. I knew that she needed this time to think, so I sat on the floor against a boulder and waited for her to come to me.

About twenty minutes passed before she finally stopped pacing. She walked over to me slowly and sat down between my legs. I reflexively encircled my arms around her and pulled her back flush against my chest. She was so unbelievably _warm._

The now familiar electric current flowed freely between us.

"Do you _feel_ that, Edward?"

"I feel it, Bella."

"Are you doing it, Edward? Is the tingling coming from you?"

"No, sweet girl. This only ever happens when I'm touching you."

She stayed silent for a few moments and I would have given anything to be able to hear her mind. I was about to ask her to lift her shield when she leant her head back against my shoulder and sighed.

"Thank you for bringing me here again, Edward." She whispered.

"Anything, Bella."

We stayed there for a few hours, each lost in our own thoughts.

"Isabella? We should head back. It's starting to get dark and Esme will worry."

She didn't reply, so I leant forward to look at her. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing calmly. She was _asleep. _She felt safe enough to fall asleep in my arms – to make herself completely vulnerable to me. She trusted me to keep her _safe_.

My chest filled with an unknown emotion – pride? I picked her up and cradled her reverently. I wouldn't let a single fucking thing hurt this girl. I carried her back to the house as gently as I could, careful not to wake her. The family heard our return and met us by the front door.

It was almost comical to see their expressions, but not half as amusing as their thoughts!

_Oh my boy! Look at the way he's holding her! Could he have found her? After all this time? – Esme_

_Way to go, Eddie! Did she finally make a man of you? – Emmett_

_Going with the flow, Edward? I'm happy for you, man. – Jasper_

_If he hurts her, I'll hex him into oblivion. – Harry_

I carried Bella up to her room and laid her down on her bed. She was dressed in jeans that look too tight to be comfortable for sleeping in. I debated what I should do. The gentleman in me was _screaming_ at me to walk away, but the overprotective side of me wanted my mate to be as comfortable as possible.

The overprotective side won out and I moved back to Bella's side. I gently removed her shoes and then moved up to the button on her jeans. It opened easily and I unzipped the clasp. As gently as I could, I slid the jeans off of her and watched unashamedly at new inch of delicious skin that was revealed.

She was glorious. Her skin was silky smooth and her figure was all curves. When the jeans were off, I brought my eyes back up to her hips. She was wearing lingerie. _Fuck me!_ Royal blue lace covered her – barely. She was perfect.

I slid my arm under her waist and raised her, slightly. Once she was safely tucked under the covers, I turned to leave the room. I was uncomfortably hard again – something that wouldn't go away if I Bella was in my line of sight. With one final glance, I turned on my heel and walked away.

I stepped into the shower and let the water flow over me. I couldn't get the image of her in those panties out of my mind. I was _painfully_ hard by this point and it was showing no sign of subsiding.

A century of morals flew out the window as I heard her turn in her sleep. All I could think about was how she might look, tangled in the sheets after I fucked the ever living shit out of her.

That single thought blew all contradictions out of my mind and my hand wrapped around my shaft instinctively. I hissed at the pleasure that shot through me. _Fuck._ I'd had no idea it could feel like this.

I moved my hand experimentally and my knees shook with the effort of trying to keep myself upright.

My head was a mess of images involving Bella and myself. We were all moans and gasps. A tangled mess of limbs wrapped possessively around each other. I was completely consumed in pleasure and hadn't realised that I had been moaning Isabella's name.

I snapped my eyes open with the intention of concentrating on the minds of everyone in the house. I would be mortified if anyone heard me.

When I looked up, Bella was standing in front of the shower, staring at the hand that was still fisting my dick.

_Fuck it! She must have heard you calling her fucking name!_

I looked at her closely. She was still staring at me with hooded eyes biting that damned lip, just watching my hand. I slowed my strokes to a gentle stop and she raised her gaze to meet mine.

In the instant that our eyes met, I felt something inside me just fucking snap. She's my _mate. _I fucking _want _her to see me like this – to see what she does to me. I kissed goodbye to my inner gentleman and began stroking myself again.

Her eyes snapped back down to my dick and her breath stuttered.

"Bella? You up? Esme had made dinner for you."

_Fucking Harry!_

She backed out of the bathroom slowly – still not averting her gaze. It was only when she heard Harry walking towards the bathroom to find her, did she turn on her heel and leave the room – closing the door behind her.

The whole thing had me so turned on that I fisted my hand in my mouth and shot my load all over the tiles.

By the time that my breathing returned to normal and the lust cleared, reality kicked in. Did I really just fucking do that? In front of Isabella? _Jesus._ She must think I'm a fucking _animal._

I washed myself at vampire speed and jumped out of the shower, dressing hurriedly. I needed to find her, to apologise for being such a shit.


	6. Exploring her world

I ran downstairs to the kitchen when the entire family had congregated. They were all happily eating dinner, so I slid into the only open seat – next to Bella.

Every part of my body was screaming at me – the only thing I could concentrate on was my mate. Was it supposed to feel like this? So all-consuming? I pushed that thought out of my head and decided that enough was enough. No more holding back. I had seen this happen before. First to Carlisle, then to Emmett. With them, they suddenly felt pre-programmed to protect their mate at all costs. Next came lust – followed closely by love. I just needed to let instinct take over. So I did.

I raised my eyes and chanced a glance at Bella. She didn't seem angry – in fact she smiled at me. Not seductive or cheeky – just a genuine smile. She pushed a plate towards me before turning back to Alice, who was talking avidly about Bella's home life.

Later that evening, I managed to track Isabella down in her room. I was terrified of the talk we were about to have, but I had to set the record straight. I had to apologise for the way I behaved earlier. I knocked on the door, quietly and held my breath as I waited for her to answer.

"Come in, Edward."

I opened the door to find her hovering above her bed with her legs crossed. She had a look of extreme concentration as she stirred something in her purple glass cauldron. She smiled at me and gestured for me to sit down.

"Bella – I wanted to talk to you about this afternoon. I need you to understand that I don't behave like that – in fact I've never done _that_ before... literally. I don't know what's happening..." I trailed off awkwardly. This was so embarrassing!

"Well, why don't you start from the beginning and we'll go from there." She offered.

I glanced behind me at the door and knew that everything I said would be heard by the whole house. I grimaced but steeled my nerve.

"Muffliato," Bella murmured. "It's a silencing spell. Now no one will be able to hear you. Just me."

Well _that_ was a relief. I offered her a small smile before starting;

"The moment I saw you, Bella, the world literally shifted on its axis. I couldn't believe how _beautiful_ you are – Harry had warned us that your beauty would be somewhat... distracting – but I had no idea... Everyone else seemed to adjust – to become acclimatised to you. They weren't stuttering, bumbling fools. They were perfectly able to hold a coherent conversation with you, without tripping over their own tongues. That never happened to me..."

I chanced a glance at her, expecting to see her laughing at me, but she just carried on chopping up –_beetles?_

"In just two days, I feel more protective of you than I have of anyone else. My mind acts of it's own accord... what you saw in the shower – Bella you have to understand that I have _never_ done something like that before. In 109 years, you are the only woman who has _ever_ captured my attention."

I stopped talking when she raised her tiny hand and began to stroke my hair. There was so much that I wanted to say to her, but it was impossible to concentrate on anything when she was being so tender – each touch, sending a shockwave of pleasure through me. Her small fingers stroked and scratched my scalp in a way I had never felt before. The caring action was so foreign – but unbelievably pleasurable.

"You're _purring." _She said in amazement.

Embarrassment must have overtaken my features, because she scooted in even closer and refused to let me pull away.

"Don't hide what you are from me, Edward. This is your _home..._ it's the one place where you _don't _have to hide."

Absolute acceptance – that was what she was offering me. All she wanted in exchange, was for me to be myself. To stop pretending to be human when we were safely ensconced in our own home. She was right, of course. This was the one place where I should never have to hide who I am. It was just something I had always had to do in front of the humans and I was having a hard time letting those practises go for my Bella.

"So, what are you making?" I questioned as I gestured towards the potion in her caldron.

"Finite," she murmured, "sorry – they can hear us again, now. I'm in the middle of brewing several things, actually. This is an antidote to the common cold. I need to keep Harry healthy."

"Over there," she gestured towards a row of glass bottles containing a luminous gold liquid, "is a sleeping draught. I'm going to try and modify it once it's matured. I think I may be able to make it potent enough for Vampires to drink."

I stared slack-mouthed at her and vaguely noticed her door flying open as the family piled into her room. Their minds betrayed their disbelief when they saw me with my head in Bella's lap – her hand, still gently stroking my hair. I didn't bother moving – I wasn't entirely sure that I _could_ move.

"Is that possible?" Carlisle said in amazement.

"It is if you're Bella." Harry offered.

We all turned to look at him as he offered his explanation.

"Most of us don't mess around with potions – dangerous stuff if you get it wrong. You have to be a skilled alchemist to try. One drop too many of any ingredient, one stir in the wrong direction can have fatal results. I would never attempt it."

"You do yourself an injustice, Harry." Isabella said. "You are just as able to bottle potions as I am."

"Now we both know that's not true," he laughed, "Bella was raised around magic – she had her first cauldron by her third birthday. She's been concocting all manner of potions for years…. You should see some of the results she gets. Incredible, really. But as I said – anyone else would be mad to attempt the things that she does. But if it makes you feel any better – I've learned to trust her. I would drink anything she put in front of me without questioning it at all."

Isabella blushed, beautifully and lowered her head. The pink that stained her cheeks was a beautiful addition to her shy face.

"Thank you, Harry."

"So how exactly would you alter a potion to make it consumable by a Vampire?" Carlisle asked while pulling up a chair. Bella thought about her answer as she tore a few leaves up and added them to her cauldron.

"It's very much trial and error. Most witches have an instinctive feel for their cauldron –"

Harry snorted. "Speak for yourself, Bella, blimey. I don't think I instinctively meant to make my swelling solution explode and set fire to Ron's eyebrows last year."

She burst out laughing while my eyes widened. I lifted my head from her lap and backed away from the cauldron. I couldn't afford to lose my eyebrows – they wouldn't grow back!

"Edward – you don't need to move away. Trust me. Bella is an accomplished potion master. She would never make such a basic mistake."

"Forget to add the beetle bile?" She questioned knowingly.

"Yeah and Snape made sure the whole class knew about it, too. Git."

She laughed before turning back to Carlisle;

"Honestly, the biggest hurdle is your venom. It would strip the potion down to nothing in a few minutes. If I have any chance of making the potion consumable, I'll have to find a way to dilute your venom slightly... but once I've done that, you'll be able to drink any potion you like!" She added cheerfully.

"Any potion?" Carlisle questioned.

"Yes – here," she thrust a book towards him, "take a look at this. 'The Moste Potente Potions' grade six. It has a collection of things you may want to try."

"Bella? What's this?" Jasper questioned. I looked at the object he was pointing to. It seemed to be some sort of purple hamster.

"It's a pygmy puff. Fred and George bred him for me. Cute little thing, isn't he?"

"Ginny had one, too." Harry said sadly before leaving the room.

They all looked towards Isabella, questioningly. Harry had not told anyone about his girl back home. I wouldn't have known either if I didn't continually catch snippets of his thoughts about her.

"Ginny was Harry's girlfriend. They broke up the day before Harry came to Forks. He knew that Voldemort would use her to gain access to him if he knew about her. It took them 5 years to get together – they had such a short romance before he left. It breaks his heart that he can't be with her. She's the closest thing to a mate that a human can have... I should go and see if he's ok."

She stood and left her room, leaving us Vampires staring at her trinkets in awe. Nothing in her room was still. The books were sorting themselves into correct order on her shelves, the occupant in the portraits were moving freely, a small glass goblet was filling and emptying itself of different colour liquids. There was just so much...

"It's incredible, isn't it?" Jasper said as he pulled a book from the shelf.

He had barely held it before it began to wail and scream at him... My Bella and Harry ran into the room just as Jasper threw the book at the wall. We all backed away slowly, retreating to the far wall as Isabella and Harry laughed freely. Showing none of the fear the we displayed, she picked up the book and shook it as hard as she could.

"Will you shut up!" She yelled. The book immediately settled down and stopped howling . My expression aghast, I turned to my girl.

"What the fuck was that?" Emmett yelled.

"It's a witching book of standard curses – you startled it, that's all. It was having a nap and you woke it."

She said all of this as though it was the most natural thing in the world... as if it were normal for books to wail like a baby when they were read.

"I'm sorry," she giggled, "I should have warned you. There are things in this room that could be potentially dangerous. The book isn't – but don't try to to touch any liquid at all."

"The general rule of thumb with unfamiliar objects, is not to trust anything that talks - if you can't see its brain. If an inanimate object speaks to you, put it down, ignore it and call me or Bella." Harry offered.

"What about everything else? The things that are moving but not speaking?" Jasper asked.

Bella walked over to her dresser and picked up the first thing she came across.

"This is an ever-bashing boomerang. It's enchanted to chase and hit whoever it's thrown at – repeatedly. Most of the things in here are harmless – jokes that Fred, George and I concocted for their joke shop. But some things are booby trapped."

She walked over to a wooden box and tapped it with her wand. It expanded and opened to display the most lavish looking jewellery I had ever seen. Millions of pounds worth of sparkly things.

"You'll find nothing modern in here. Most of this jewellery has been handed down through my family for generations. Each piece is part of our history and holds immense sentimental value to me... I've placed a hex on the entire thing. If anyone were to use the jewellery without letting me know, they would fall into a deep sleep the second it touched their skin. They would be fast asleep, waiting for me until I came home and woke them up. It's not that I don't trust people to borrow it... not that at all – but take this, for example," she picked up a beautiful sapphire necklace, "my great-grandmother wore this the day that she married my great-grandfather. To lose it would be devastating to me."

"Thank you for cherishing it, sweet girl."

We all spun around, trying to find the source of the sound. Bella glanced towards a portrait that housed a beautiful young lady. She was thing image of Isabella. She sat at a table with two other ladies – they were outdoors... in a field, perhaps?

"Love you, Grandma."

"I love you too, sweetheart."

The beautiful lady smiled at Bella, before continuing to drink her tea and admire the view with her friends. There was a beat of silence, before Harry chuckled at our expressions;

"I'm off to bed – night all."

There was a chorus of 'goodnights' as he left the room. Realising that Bella may want to sleep as well, we all filed out of her room after biding her a good night. Downstairs, the remaining family congregated in the living room.

"We're gonna have our hands full with those two." Emmet said, jovially as he sat down at the chess board with Jasper.


	7. The stone Army

I watched on, silently, as my family discussed everything that they had learned today.

As I stared out the window, I realised that my entire human life had been a lie. All the basic laws I had known were false. While I lived my boring human existence, I didn't realise that there was another world out there entirely. I had always cursed God for subjecting me to this half-life, Vampire existence... but for the first time in ninety years, I thanked him. If Carlisle had not changed me, I never would have known. I would have married and had children, grown old and died without ever having experienced the magic I had seen today.

I would never have met Bella.

_Bella._

She was an entirely different kind of 'new' to deal with. My talk with her had gone better than I had expected. She was giving me the time and space that I needed to wrap my head around my new found feelings for her. She just accepted my reasons for my behaviour and moved on.

The sun rose slowly, bathing the house in an eerie, orange glow. I heard Bella rise from her bed -she must have finished sleeping already. Harry would need to sleep double to length of a Veela. She came down the stairs and gave me a megawatt smile.

"Good morning, Edward."

"Morning, sweetheart."

I hadn't meant to call her that – it just slipped out. Instinctively – like my mind needed to let this girl know what she means to me, for fear that I may lose her to someone else. She blushed at the endearment and sat down next to me at the table. I watched as she piled at least three times as much food as anyone else onto her plate. It was nice to see her eat.

"Hungry?" I joked.

She blushed and stared down at her plate. "Actually, yes... a Veela needs to eat _lots _and frequently. It's how we get our energy. If we eat as little as a human does, then we lose our speed and strength. Sorry – does it bother you?"

I could see that she was embarrassed and I instantly felt like a complete shit. She had accepted _my_ eating habits so freely, yesterday. Even going as far as to tell me that my being a messy eater reminded her of _home. _Well I wasn't having that. I pulled her into my arms and down onto my lap. I vaguely noticed the surprised murmurs from the family – but I ignored them. I had embarrassed my mate. The only thing I gave a shit about now was comforting her. I would explain my behaviour to my family, later.

"I don't care what you have to eat, so long as it keeps you healthy, sweetheart."

The whole family, minus Jasper, who already knew what was going on, were staring at me unashamedly now. Their thoughts betrayed that they were pleased for me. Emmett, however, teased me with his thoughts all throughout breakfast. He seemed to find it hysterical that I was feeding Bella food off my plate. My human side thought I was being a possessive asshole – my inner Vampire was purring at the thought of keeping my mate healthy. Bella had wanted me to let myself be a Vampire – so I just went with it. It seemed like a natural thing to do – feeding her... it was what she needed to stay strong. She started to slow down after her third plate of food.

"Had enough?" I joked.

"Actually, yes. I have a few things to do before school, today. I need to assess the security of the house."

I was instantly disappointed. I had hoped to have the chance to spend some time with her.

"What sort of changes will you need to make, Bella?" Jasper asked.

"I'm not sure, yet. I need to find a way to booby trap the house without it affecting any of the occupants. I did some reading last night. I have a few things up my sleeve." She winked at me and left the table – racing out the door into the rain.

"So," Jasper asked with a grin, "how is everything going with Bella?"

Knowing that he was teasing me for being such a sap, I threw an apple at him, which bounced off his head and split into a hundred pieces.

"Piss off, Jazz. You know exactly what's happening." I laughed.

"Would somebody mind telling the rest of us what's going on?" Alice pouted.

Her visions regarding Bella were not very clear. She had seen her coming and that they would be close, but since Isabella had learned of our extra Vampire abilities, she had closed her mind – Alice had seen nothing else of her at all. My girl was _strong_.

"Edward, here has found his mate..." Jasper added for emphasis.

The gasps around the table were not surprising. Rosalie surprised us all by taking Bella's empty seat and leaning into my side.

"I'm happy for you, Edward. She's perfect."

"Edward," Carlisle started, "You'll have to forgive me – but I think it's prudent that I check. Have you felt the mating pull to Isabella."

I could feel the megawatt smile take over my face as I addressed my Father.

"Yes, dad. I can feel it. From the very first moment I laid eyes on her, I knew she was different. Rosie was right. It's instinctive."

In that one sentence, two different things happened. Firstly, Carlisle noted that I called him 'dad' – something I had not done in the ninety years that I had known him. Secondly, he noted that I called Rosalie, 'Rosie' – another first for me.

_Well she certainly seems to be bringing out another side to him, that's for sure._

"She makes me feel things I've never felt before –" I started.

"I can attest to that" Jasper laughed. Alice smacked him round the back of the head.

"I'm serious, guys. I'm not joking. For example, I can tell you that she is currently about twenty miles North of here."

"Wait son – how do you know that?" Carlisle's confusion was apparent – as was the rest of the family's.

"I can feel her, Carlisle. The further away she is, the more discomfort I feel. She's on her way back, now. I feel better with every step she takes in my direction."

From their thoughts, I could tell that none of the others had experienced this with their mates – but then again, none of the were mated to a Veela.

"Astounding." Carlisle murmured as Isabella's footsteps came into our hearing range.

I felt the floor trembling underneath my feet. I looked out the window and tried not to scream like a girl. An army of soldiers made of rock were marching towards the house. The family congregated by the door as Bella led them into the garden.

"Right you lot – I need you to hide. You mustn't attack anyone unfamiliar – muggles may come and go as they please, but wait for a command from either myself, or Harry. Understand?"

The Army of stone soldiers all nodded their agreement as Bella raised her wand and dug no less that a hundred shallow graves in Esme's lawn.

"Lovely," she said, admiring her work, "in you get, then."

The stone men each climbed into their own crater before she swished her wand in another complex movement. The earth settled over them and the grass re-grew. If we hadn't seen her conceal the underground army, we would never have known that they were there at all. Harry stumbled out the back door, rubbing his tired eyes.

"What's the charm to awaken our rocky friends?" he said with a yawn.

"Piertotum locomotor."

He nodded, completely unaware of how strange this was to us Vampires.

"Where did you summon them from?"

"There was a boulder field about twenty miles North of here."

"Absolutely incredible." Carlisle said. I had known exactly where she was without her telling me.

"I just hope that no one notices that the boulders are gone." She said worriedly.

"Nah – you know how unobservant muggles can be. They would just assume that they were in the wrong field. They'll never assume that a witch turned the rocks into a stone man army to protect the 'Chosen one' at any rate."

"The order didn't put any protective enchantments on the house?" She questioned.

"No – no one from the Order has ever been here - even Dumbledore. The Cullen's met me at Sea-Tac airport. Dumbledore didn't want anyone to know where I was. You were the only person he trusted to come here... I didn't understand why until you told me that you made an un-breakable vow to protect the other safe house."

She nodded and raised her wand to the sky;

"Protego Maxima - Salvio Hexia – Muggle Repellum"

She said the incantations over and over again... until a clear, blue bubble spread over the entire house. It was anything but inconspicuous. Harry noticed our confused expressions and answered them, readily;

"Protective enchantments – no witch or wizard will be able to come within a hundred yards of the place in any direction. It's invisible to muggles- but wizards will see it. It's like a warning to stay away."

"If you weren't so well known in the town, I could have made the house unplottable. If anyone approached the house, they would have seen nothing but an old ruin – but this will have to do." She said.

"What do these spells do, exactly?" Esme asked.

"Well, the bubble that covers the house will protect it from minor spells – should anyone get close enough. It will also act as an impenetrable physical barrier. It's unlikely that they would approach it though – the other two spells repel people from the house. A wizard will feel confusion, the closer they get. They will feel an overwhelming need to suddenly be somewhere else." Harry answered.

"Simple, but effective." Bella said with a final flourish. "There are other spells that I would like to try, but they will have an impact on everyone living here. I thought I should ask before I cast them."

"What spells are they, Isabella?" Carlisle asked.

"There are a few- many of which are not commonly known. All the better for keeping Harry safe."

She spent the next hour detailing her charms and hexes. Jasper whistled appreciatively at her cunning. From his mental tenor, I could see just how thoroughly impressed he was by Bella's defence strategy. She wasn't joking when she said that it would impact our lives – but it would certainly be effective.

We all agreed that the protection was necessary and Bella agreed to get started after we had returned from school.

After packing our bags hurriedly, we piled into the car and headed off on the short drive to Forks High School. After pulling into the usual spot, I raced at a fast human speed to the passenger door to help Bella from the car. She took my hand and smiled at me appreciatively.

As soon as she stepped out of the car, the mental voices began again.

'_She is so unbelievably hot.'_

'_Cullen is a lucky guy. What I wouldn't give to be in his shoes.'_

'_Look at the rack on that.'_

I growled lowly at the insipid little runts and Bella looked at me in question.

"Are you okay, Edward?"

I shook my head and tried to control my sudden urge to massacre the entire male population of the school. My rage was barely concealed – I was quite literally seeing red. Isabella took my cold hand and slipped it into her warm one. Her beautiful mental voice flooded my mind, completely.

'_I don't know what they are thinking, Edward, but ignore them. In a few months time, we'll never see any of them again.'_

I calmed instantly before I realised that her statement could have two meanings. Yes- we would graduate in a few short months... and the humans would move away to college... but how long would _Bella_ be here? Would she move away too? When High school ended, she wouldn't have a viable cover story for staying in Forks anymore. She would have to leave...

My heart constricted painfully at the thought. I couldn't lose her... I hadn't had enough time. It was in that very moment that I realised how stupid I had been. I had finally met my mate and I was wasting time by worrying about what to do and how I felt... I gave up trying to work everything out and just decided to do what felt right – and right now, I needed to show all of these disgusting teenage boys that their fantasies revolving around my Bella would never be reality.

I flung my arm over her shoulder and pulled her tightly into my side. It didn't take long for the odious fucks to groan mentally – so I decided to stop being such a pussy and claim my mate openly. I smiled at each of them in turn before kissing Bella's temple. _Fuckers! _After they all walked away, the red mist cleared and I was able to think clearly once more. I was worried about Bella's reaction to my possessiveness. After all, I had no claim on her. She hadn't agreed to be mine... yet.

I chanced a glance at her and she giggled at me softly before nuzzling her face into the crook of my neck and letting me lead her to homeroom. I should have known that she would understand what I was doing. I don't think she realised that she hadn't replaced her mental shield after opening her mind to me.

'_I wonder what they were thinking that upset Edward so much? On second thought, I probably don't want to know... Is it supposed to feel like this? So all-consuming? I can't think clearly unless he's there... and the way my skin tingles when he touches me... what is that?"_

Just those brief moments in her mind settled my nerves completely. She _was_ feeling the mating connection... she just didn't know what it was. 

"It's part of the mating connection, sweetheart. The tingling? It's a sign of being mated." I said. I thought I should be honest – let her know that I could hear her mind. She gasped quietly and slammed her shield over her mind. She was blushing profusely – ashamed of her thoughts. Well I wasn't going to have that.

I grasped her chin and forced her to look at me;

"Don't hide from me, sweet girl. I feel it too, love."

She bit her lip – completely unaware of how seductive she was being. I gently freed it and held her face in my hands.

"If we were _anywhere_ other than this infernal school, I wouldn't be able to resist kissing you. I don't think you realise how beautiful you are."

Before he could answer, Mr. Banner called the class to attention so that he could do a roll call.

School dragged on even more slowly than usual. I wanted to get home and spend some quality time with my girl. My brothers, however, were having none of it.

"Hunting, Edward! Come on... Bella will be busy putting protection around the house anyway!"

I grunted my agreement just as Rosalie and Bella approached the car.

"You're going hunting, I hear?" My girl said with a grin.

"Apparently – my brothers seem to think that I need to spend the afternoon bonding with them over a mountain lion." I replied, dryly.

"Okay, well you guys take the car and we'll Apparate, Rosalie and Alice back to the house."

With that, she kissed my cheek, took Rosalie by the hand and led her into the woods. I waited until I heard the familiar 'pop' before I started the engine and drove out of the lot. The sooner I hunted, the sooner I would be back to Bella.


	8. Revive me, Bella

**AN: WARNING – This chapter contains lemons, so if they're not your thing, please don't read. Thanks!**

* * *

A few hours later, I pulled up in front of the house. My bothers and I were freshly fed and in dire need of a shower. The drizzle that had been dampening the town all day had turned into a downpour. Neither the cold nor the wet, particularly bothered a Vampire – but it certainly made hunting somewhat messy.

"Guys, hold up," Jasper said, "Esme is going to flip if we track all this mud into the house."

Emmett, having no pride whatsoever, stripped himself down to his boxers and ran through the door unashamedly.

"Emmett you moron – Bella doesn't need to see you undressed. Get in the bedroom." Rosalie screeched. Her tirade ended with the familiar sound of a thwack to the back of his head.

"Ow! Rosie, baby! I just missed you is all."

"Well miss me from the shower!"

Jasper hurriedly stripped and fled the garage, too. I was alone for a few moments before the door connecting the house to the garage opened and my Bella stepped through.

"I took one look at Emmett and Jasper and thought you might need a towel." She said.

Her eyes never strayed from mine as she approached and handed me the towel.

"Thank you, sweet girl." I whispered.

My own eyes were not as well behaved as hers had been. They seemed to slip, of their own accord, down to the microscopic shorts that were framing her ass perfectly. I didn't notice that she had spun around and was now facing me before it was too late. She had caught me leering at her. I tried to be embarrassed – my inner gentleman was shaking his fist at me – but it's hard to be noble when your dick is trying to burst through your boxers and poke anything it can reach.

Her mouth popped open as she thought of something to say to fill the awkward silence... my dick apparently liked that a lot. I needed to get out of here before I said or did something stupid... I wasn't thinking with the right head at the moment.

"I'm just going to head up for a shower. Thanks again for the towel."

She nodded and walked away, smiling. Once I was alone, I stood in the garage willing my erection away so that I didn't have to suffer the indignity of parading through the house – in front of my _mother_, while my penis saluted everyone we came across. After ten unsuccessful minutes, I finally gave up and ran. To my room.

A few hours later and things were no better... Harry had gone to sleep and the mated couples were enjoying, well, each other. Jasper, who was unable to control the lust he was picking up, decided to take matters into his own hands... and ended up projecting his desire throughout the house. None of this was unusual – but I was painfully aware that Bella was in the room next to mine...

Unable to fight it any longer, I stood up and went to her room. I didn't hesitate when I approached her door – I just pushed it open and stepped inside. She was laying on her bed in nothing but her tiny shorts and Tee. As soon as our eyes met, the electrical current that ran through me whenever I was near her, surged freely. I tentatively sat down on the edge of the bed and brought my hand up to cup her face. I leant in towards her and briefly touched my lips to her own. The second that they connected, I was gone.

Her hot, little tongue brushed my lower lip looking for entrance and I gave it to her, freely. I had never kissed a girl like this before. I was concerned I was doing it wrong, but when Bella whimpered and fisted her tiny hands into my hair, I realised that she was enjoying this just as much as I was.

Without any conscious thought, I pushed her back onto the bed and lay between her legs. With this one kiss, I was hard as steel and I couldn't have moved if she begged me. Jasper sent another surge of lust through the house and our kiss continued to get more frenzied. I was vaguely aware that things were moving too fast, but I couldn't find it in me to stop. I opened my mouth to tell her that we needed to stop and struggled to get the sentence out as she pressed wet little kisses all over my neck.

"Bella... we... we need... to slow down... baby."

She didn't answer me – she just flipped me over so that I was pinned underneath her. The way she looked in that moment was the single most sexy thing I had ever fucking seen. Her hair was tousled from my hands, her eyes were lidded... her lips plump and red from our kisses. Without any self restraint left, I grabbed her around the neck and pulled her back to my lips.

Her mouth left mine and she began trailing kisses down my chest – unbuttoning my shirt as she went. It felt so incredible that I lost all hope of slowing things down. I wanted _more. _She lay her head down on my stomach and looked up at me – silently asking permission to take things further. The sight of her head so dangerously close to my dick made rational thought impossible and I nodded my consent.

Her fingers slowly trailed down my body, until they brushed lightly against my cock. I gasped at the feeling and let my head fall back – just relishing the sensation of it. She freed my swollen dick form its confines – _finally -_ and began to stroke me, _so _slowly. Just that one little touch had my hips jerking frantically.

"Fuck, Bella... feels so fucking good."

She pulled her hand away briefly and I whimpered at the loss. I wrenched my eyes open to see what she was doing. I groaned as she slowly brought her hand to her mouth and licked it, before wrapping it around my dick again - tighter this time. The feeling of her now _wet_ hand was even more sensational and I knew I wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. Just as I adjusted to the sensations, I felt her head move slightly. Her warm breath blew softly across my shaft, just as her lips pressed up against my head.

"Shit... please, baby. Don't stop."

My shameful begging seemed to encourage her, because two second later, the tip of my dick slid between her lips. _Nothing_ could have prepared me for the feeling of being in her hot, little mouth.

"Jesus Christ, Bella!"

She moaned and I smelled another wave of her arousal permeate through the room. In one swift move, she pushed her mouth down and covered my entire dick before swallowing. Where the fuck did she learn to _do _this? With my cock buried in her mouth, she looked up at me from underneath her long eyelashes and suck as hard as she could.

"_Fuck_, Bella. That's it... _yes_...Just like that." Her tiny hand came up and cupped my balls and I was over the edge.

"Baby...I'm about to... _fuck_... you have to... you have to move!" She whimpered and wrapped her arms around my legs – trapping me. _Is she telling me that she wants to swallow? _That single thought sent me over the edge and I roared my release.

When my breath finally slowed, I glanced down and saw her lick her lips – it was my undoing. I groaned and rolled her over so that she was trapped underneath me.

"Bella – you have no fucking idea how incredible that felt, sweet girl."

She squirmed underneath me as I ran kisses along her collarbone. It wasn't enough. This wasn't time for tender love-making. This was a Vampire claiming his mate.


	9. She's my mate

A month passed – Bella and I were officially mated. The family were immensely happy for us, too. Bella had swooped into our lives and changed us all. Her constant happiness was like a siren – you couldn't ignore her call. The family set aside time each night to spend together. Problems were hashed out and resolved as a unit, playful stories were exchanged over dinner – shit, we even went on family outings... all because of Bella.

I was drawn from my thoughts when I heard my family coming in from outside; I glanced out of the window and saw Jasper and Emmett play fighting in the rain. Emmett, of course, didn't care about getting wet and was purposefully jumping into all of the puddles in an attempt to splash everyone.

"Emmett! I'm wearing designer jeans!" Alice screamed.

Of course a fight began and I watched on lovingly. We may have been a bit of a motley crew – all thrown together because of pain and loss, but looking at them now – standing in the rain, screaming and playing, I couldn't be more proud to call them my family.

I looked back at Bella, who was sleeping peacefully and pulled myself away from my beautiful girl, reluctantly. Though I didn't want to leave her side, I needed to hunt - _badly. _ After pressing a quick kiss to her forehead, I jumped from the window and ran east. The three large deer did little for the burn in my throat, but it was better than attacking random humans in the street. I ran – trying to clear my mind – and enjoyed the peace of being alone for a few hours.

I stayed out for as long as I could bear it – but eventually, the mating pull became too strong and I raced home as quickly as I could. Normally, I felt better the closer I got to my Bella – but the tearing pain in my chest continued to rip through me as I walked through the front door.

_Bella wasn't here._

I turned to Harry, who was sat on the sofa, reading a book tiredly;

"She's not in Forks. She's gone to London to receive instructions from the Order. Believe it or not, Edward – this isn't a holiday camp. Bella is single-handedly trying to protect the most wanted wizard in the world. She can't sit around here all day and play happy families with you. She has work to do."

I blanched at hid coldness. _Who upset the human? _He seemed to notice my curiosity and lowered his book;

"I'm sorry, Edward. I don't mean to be a dick... I just feel terrible that she's putting herself on the line like this. I hate it... I really fucking do."

Harry trudged to the kitchen. We watched as he used his wand to command the kettle to boil and pour him a cup of tea. He walked back into the living room and sat down, while we stood in silence – watching him.

A familiar Patronus padded into the room – a mountain lion. It turned to Harry and spoke in my Bella's beautiful voice;

"Reserve guard are on their way - Mad-eye and Diggle. Security measures still active. Question each of them before allowing them entrance."

The Patronus dissolved and the sound of two wizards apparating into the yard filled our ears. Immediately, the caterwauling charm exploded in a painful screech as Bella's security measure kicked in.

A gruff voice, who I deduced was mad-eye, began whispering a counter-curse in Latin – trying to turn the charm off. He was still speaking, when Bella's stone army crawled from their graves and began marching towards the two wizards.

"Harry, should you help them?" Esme asked with concern.

"No – mad-eye is an Auror. If that's really him, he'll have no trouble disabling Bella's security measures. If it's an imposter, they'll disapparate and we'll be able to report it to the Order."

Diggle was trying futilely to disarm the hundred soldiers that were marching towards them. No matter what spell he cast, the soldiers kept on coming.

"I hope he tries a vanishing spell, next." Harry laughed.

"Why?" Emmett questioned.

Before Harry could respond, Diggle cast the vanishing charm and screamed loudly – causing Harry to laugh.

"Because the Army doubles every time you try." He chuckled.

Mad-eye managed to turn off the caterwauling charm and turned his attention to the now 200 strong, stone army. He didn't even manage to get his wand completely raised before a bone chilling scream was heard.

I looked towards the window and saw what was making that sound. A lady, dressed from head to toe in black robes was floating out of the forest, heading straight towards the two wizards. Her clothes were dirty and torn, her limbs hung at odd angles – but the most distressing thing of all was the sound coming out of her mouth. She was _wailing_ as though she were in incredible pain.

"Banshee" Harry offered as we all clapped our hands over our ears.

The wizards temporarily abandoned their attack on the stone army and focused on the banshee. Apparently it was more important that she was destroyed. I didn't understand how one Banshee could be more dangerous than 200 soldiers made of shingle...

Diggle was panicking, now – the usual offensive spells that worked on a Banshee were having no effect whatsoever. Even Mad-eye, one of the greatest Aurors of all time was struggling to figure out what they were doing wrong. Eventually – Harry stepped outside and pointed his wand directly at the two wizards. He had ascertained that they would be killed if he didn't intervene.

"Moody - In the last meeting for the Order, Molly Weasley confiscated an item from Fred Weasley. What was it?"

Mad-eye never took his eye off the Banshee as he answered Harry;

"An extendable ear," He grunted, "but she took it from George – not Fred."

Harry moved his wand to Diggle;

"When Dedalus Diggle rescued me from the Dursley's, he met my cousin. What was the last thing that Dudley Dursley said to me?"

"He... he told you t-that you weren't a waste of space."

Harry stepped outside – apparently the wizards had passed his tests and raised his wand at the banshee.

"Superana octivus." He yelled. The Banshee disappeared back into the forest. He then spoke directly to the Army;

"Thank you for your continued protection. You may sleep again, now."

They climbed back into their graves and Harry covered them again.

"Come in, Moody, Diggle."

They followed him inside and the introductions were made.

"Well," growled Moody, "at least we know you're safe here, boy. What was that Banshee?"

Harry smiled at the portrait of Bella that was hung by the fireplace.

"It wasn't a Banshee. It was a Morph."

Mad-eye muttered about 'knowing better than that' and 'simple mistake', while Diggle asked what everyone else was thinking;

"Dear boy – what's a Morph?"

"Bella transfigured an inanimate object to take the form of a Banshee. To 'morph' into one. That Banshee was no more dangerous to you than the shoes on your feet."

"It was a distraction." Mad-eye croaked. "A bloody good one, at that. That girl will go far in the Aurors office – I'll tell you that much for nothing."

"What's an Auror?" Emmett asked.

"They're sort of like the Wizarding police, Emmett." Harry answered.

"They're an elite unit of highly-trained, specialist officers within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Magic. They're in charge of apprehending wizards who wrongfully use dark magic."

"Cool! So Bella wants to be an Auror?"

It was Mad-eye who answered Emmett;

"Auror training is intensive, boy. Only the most skilled wizards need apply. Many who _do_ apply, fail the selection process. We've not had a successful applicant in the last three years. The last person who completed the training was Nymphadora Tonks."

Harry nodded his agreement and turned to me;

"She's Bella's best friend, slash sister – not biological, but since when has that mattered? Every single person I know has an adopted sibling of some sort." Harry laughed.

"Isabella comes from a long line of Aurors. Dora has just qualified – Bella's Father, Sirius, is head of the department. You can probably tell from the protective enchantments she cast on the house, that Isabella's Father has already given her extensive, defensive training. She'll get into the program. I'll see to it personally."

"What about you, Harry?" Alice asked. "You mentioned a desire to be an Auror, too."

"I didn't have the same upbringing as Bella. I can't do half of the things that she does with a wand – but yes, that is a desire of mine."

"Your problem isn't your wand, boy. It's your grades. If you spent less time messing around with Weasley, you might achieve more." Moody growled.

"Right well as soon as I've defeated the darkest wizard of all time, I'll get right on that." Harry said sarcastically.

Diggle ignored the conversation entirely – his attention was focused on the stereo in the corner of the room. His mind betrayed his curiosity towards the device. Eventually, Harry admitted his need for sleep and went off to bed. The Aurors decided to patrol the border of the property while he slept.

My mind immediately returned to my Bella. I wish I knew where she was and what she was doing. The Aurors must have been warned of my mind-reading abilities as their shields had been closed all evening. I had hoped to learn more about where Bella had gone from their thoughts – no such luck.

The sun rose over the clouds and I dashed up to my room to dress for school. Bella still hadn't come home, but I was sure she would be here before we left. I dragged my feet for as long as I could, but eventually I ran out of excuses to delay us any longer. Bella wasn't home in time to go to school.

My siblings didn't talk in the car – each had noticed Bella's absence, but didn't comment on it. I pulled into my usual spot and noticed the two wizards that were extremely well concealed in the forest – protecting Harry. I trudged towards homeroom and sat in my chair with a slump. I heard Jessica Stanley come into the room and knew that she was approaching me.

"Hello, Edward."I ignored her completely and pretended to turn up the volume on my iPod. She stood there for a few more seconds – clearly not having anticipated me ignoring her.

"You know, Edward, you _can_ talk to people other than your family," She joked.

I ignored her again and hoped that she would take the hint and leave. I distinctly heard the sound of Bella apparating into the forest and my head snapped in her direction as I listened to her conversation with Mad-eye and Diggle. They were asking her security questions – checking her identity.

"Isabella?" Moody questioned. "In your Father's office, he keeps a music box that was yours as a child. What song does it play when it's opened?"

"Once upon a dream. He bought it for me after I had my first pre-cognitive dream."

"Good girl. Did everything go okay at the meeting?"

"Yes – the arrangements for Harry's transportation are set. Daddy has the details. He asked me to tell you that Dumbledore is waiting for you to report back."

"We'll head there, now."

"Thanks for covering for me Alistair. Thank you Dedalus."

"Not a problem, my dear girl. We'll see you at the departure point." Dedalus replied. They both disapparated into the crushing darkness.

My heart jumped into my throat. Harry was _leaving?_ If he left, he would take my Bella with him. Despair crushed me and I felt as though I would drown in the pain of it.

Jessica still hadn't moved away from my table – she just stood there staring at me intently.

"Are you okay, Edward?" she probed.

Irrational anger overcame me and I had the sudden urge to swat Jessica into the wall. I had literally just found out that my mate was leaving and this _gnat_ wouldn't get the fuck away from me. I growled at her, lowly and she flinched. She was terrified, that much was obvious.

Moments later, the classroom door banged open and Alice rushed in with Bella following her. They both looked extremely alarmed – they must have heard me growling at Jessica.

"Baby? Look at me, please." Bella whispered.

She was the only person who would have any chance of distracting me from my anger. I reluctantly turned my head away from Jessica and looked at my girl. She was so unbelievably beautiful.

"Think of everything you've worked for, honey. Think of Carlisle – what this would do to him."

I flinched at the image she projected – I knew all too well how Carlisle would react if I killed the girl. Bella held out her hand to me and I took it, needing her calming touch to settle me. As soon as our hands met, the red mist lifted and I realised just how close I had been to ending little Jessica Stanley once and for all.

"We're going home now, baby. Emmett, Jasper - can you take him to the car while I get Harry, please? I can't leave him here unprotected."

"Of course, Belly-Boo." Emmett said.

"We've got him, Bella – go get Harry and we'll meet you at the car. Jessica, I think you should go to your next class."

She nodded – still terrified and walked towards the door. I growled in frustration as Emmett and Jasper tackled me. They dragged me unceremoniously to the car and threw me inside.

"Get a hold of yourself, Edward. We're taking you hunting. Now." Jasper said.

Emmett threw my Volvo into reverse, before tearing out of the lot.

"Well," said Emmett, "I've seen _messier_ rejections, Ed."

My anger, which had been barely contained until now, dissipated completely at his jovial comment. Absolutely nothing phased Emmett. In his mind, it was just a little case of attempted murder. That's all.

I found myself rolling around in uncontainable laughter – taking Emmett and Jasper with me.

"Seriously, man! What the fuck _was_ that? I've never seen you lose it like that before!" Jasper crowed.

"I don't even know what to say. I should feel terrible about trying to kill her – but honestly, after all the mental thoughts I've had to put up with from her, I just wanted to eat her and be done with it." I admitted honestly.

"You know, Eddie - I _like _this side of you man. I mean – not the murdering side – but you're not afraid to _laugh_ anymore. I think Bella is good for you, Bro."

His reminder of Bella sobered me quickly.

"They're leaving..." I whispered.

"Who?" Emmett asked.

"Harry and Bella. They're moving to a new safe house. They'll be gone in a week." I said. The unhappiness in my voice was poorly concealed.

"I'm sure you're wrong, Edward." Jasper offered. "We would have known about it by now."

I shook my head in denial and turned to face them.

"I heard the Aurors talking about it in the forest this morning – Bella confirmed it. They're moving on from Forks and not coming back."

Silence filled the car after that. Each of my brothers were thinking of the impact that their departure would have on our family. We would go back to our same mundane existence. It would destroy us. We hunted in silence before returning to the house. It was time to face the music – and the wrath of my mate.


	10. Uninvited guests

I could hear two distinctive heart beats from inside the house. Bella was definitely home. I opened the front door and made my way to the dining table. Carlisle wanted to hold a family meeting.

I glanced at Bella as I sat down. She smiled a tiny smile at me before turning to face Carlisle. She shifted in her seat, uncomfortably, before standing to address us;

"Firstly, as you are all aware, this Monday, we will be celebrating Harry's 17th Birthday. It is a very important time for a witch of wizard. In our world, we refer to it as 'coming of age'. Harry will finally be able to do magic outside of school."

"Harry already does magic outside of school. He did magic this morning!" Emmett interrupted.

"Not with his own wand. He is currently using my father's spare wand. It works for him, it's true – but it will never be as powerful as his own."

"Why can he not use his own?" Carlisle asked.

"Up until a wizard turns 17 – they have a trace on them. It allows the ministry to observe the misuse of underage magic. Harry is currently practising magic illegally. It's unfortunate and not something I would usually condone – but he has to practise. It's as simple as that."

The family nodded their agreement. It wouldn't be a brilliant move if Harry apologised to Voldemort for not being able to duel him – he hadn't had a chance to 'practise'.

"Now as this Birthday is an important one – I have taken the liberty of organizing a small get-together for Harry."

Harry's head snapped up in shock.

"On Monday, the entire Order of the Phoenix and a few friends will be apparating to Forks for Harry's 17th Birthday Party."

"Ginny?" He questioned, desperately.

"Has confirmed her attendance." Laine said with a smile.

Harry jumped up and threw his arms around Bella.

"How on earth did you _manage_ this? I thought that security wasn't tight enough... and that Dumbledore didn't want my location to be exposed?"

"Well – it would seem that Moody reported to Dumbledore after leaving Forks this morning. He told him that he had been unable to break through our defences at the Forks home and Dumbledore agreed that the Order could visit you... That it was safe..."

"But Dumbledore was _adamant_ that he didn't want anyone to know my location?"

Bella smiled sadly; I knew what she was about to say.

"It wont matter that they know where you are. When the Order leave on Monday, you will be, too."

"I'm _leaving?_ Why? What's happening? Am I moving to the safe house? Or the Burrow –"

Bella held her hand up to stop his many questions.

"You will be leaving with Dumbledore straight after your party. Dumbledore has arranged for Hermione and Ron to join you. I can't give you any more information than that as it wasn't entrusted to me. I'm sure that Dumbledore will explain it to you in more detail when I'm not around."

"But that's – that's just three days, Bella!" He said, laughing.

"I'm well aware, Harry. Daddy wants you to have your things packed and ready to go at a moments notice. Now that everyone knows that date of your departure, we're worried about an attack. You need to be ready to run at a moments notice. All it takes is one loose tongue and all of my defensive measures and protection plans are in the death eaters hands."

"Right – well I'll go and pack now, then."

He stood and walked out the door before running back in and pulling Isabella into his arms.

"_Thank you_, Bella – for protecting my life with your own. I will _never_ forget what you have done for me."

"Don't be a sap, Harry. We're not parting ways forever. As soon as the war is over, you'll be moving in with us. You'll see me so much that you'll be sick of me!"

"I doubt that, very much, Bella. You're the closest thing to a sister that I'll ever have. You're my family – that's something that I know better than anyone, not to take for granted."

He squeezed her hand one more time before walking out of the room. Our attention was swiftly diverted back to Bella;

"You're leaving?" Rosalie questioned, sadly.

Bella took my hand and curled herself up in my lap.

"Not unless you want me to." She smiled. My heart, which had been in tatters all day, lurched at her statement.

"You're not going with Harry?" I beamed.

"Not unless you're all sick of me?" she questioned.

There was a chorus of pleading. The entire family wanted her to stay.

"But I thought you had to look after Harry?" Esme asked.

"I do – I wont be here all the time. I will still be called away every now an again to do work for the Order... but I shouldn't be gone longer than a day at a time. I can't be away from Edward too long – it hurts. If my move becomes more permanent, I was going to offer you all the chance to come with me... experience the world through magical eyes." She smiled. I squeezed her so hard, that had she been human, she would have popped.

"Well _I'll_ want to go!" Yelled Emmett. "You're my baby sis. I don't want to be apart from you."

Emmett and Bella had formed a close bond during the hours that she practised her wand work - sending him soaring across the garden with various spells.

"Neither do I." Said Rosalie.

"I think it makes sense for us all to stay together. You've heard what Bella said – there are snatchers everywhere. Not to mention Voldemort and his death eaters. We're better able to protect each other as a unit." Jasper supplied.

He and Bella had spent hours pouring over magical defence books. Jasper had been keen to learn the offensive spells – hoping to be able to recognise the wand movements and incantations. Should he ever meet a wizard - he would know which spell was coming at him. Bella had been happy to demonstrate each spell... on Emmett.

Alice nodded her agreement. She loved Bella, too. Bella had introduced her to witches dress robes – a whole new outlet for Alice to shop. They had been friends ever since.

"So, we're agreed then?" Carlisle asked. "If the time should come, we'll leave Forks and go into hiding -"

The rest of his sentence was drowned out when the caterwauling charm was set off.

Immediately, Bella flew up the stairs at Mach speed, and came straight back down – carrying Harry.

"Bella – are we expecting company?" He asked worriedly. As she set him on the floor.

"No. Where are your things? Never mind. Accio!"

His bag flew down the stairs and she caught it deftly. We heard the familiar sound of Bella's stone army freeing themselves from their shallow graves. Someone was definitely here...

She grabbed a book off the shelf;

"Portus!" The book glowed blue for a few seconds before returning to an ordinary book.

"Take this, Harry. It will take you to the safe house. A portkey is the only way to get you through the fidelius charm."

By now, the Banshee was wailing her terrible song.

"I can't leave you here, Bella! It could be _Death Eaters_ out there!"

"Harry James Potter –the entire wizarding world is depending on you to fight the darkest wizard of all time. Let us worry about the rest of them! You _are_ going to take this portkey. You _will_ be safe. Stay in the house and wait for someone in the Order to contact you."

"Bella – wait!"

The book began to glow a steady blue.

"_GO, HARRY!" _

He held onto the book as it started to shake. The blue light grew brighter and he disappeared in front of our eyes.

Bella raised her wand and pointed it at the floor.

"Expecto Patronum."

The familiar, wispy mountain lion erupted from her wand and turned to face her;

"We've been betrayed. Harry is safe. They are coming."

She pointed her wand outside, "Go" – the Patronus ran through the wall and off into the night. Keeping her attention on the door, she spoke to us;

"You need to run – I can make another portkey for you, or you can run out the back, but you'll have to chose - NOW."

"We're staying with you, Bella." Carlisle said.

"I can't defend you all. You'll get hurt." She argued.

"We're staying." Jasper echoed.

She pulled a tiny drawstring bag from around her neck and opened it. She flicked her wand quickly and we all watched in as the entire contents of the house shrunk, and flew into the bag. The furniture, the books – our clothes... It would have been an incredible sight if we weren't being attacked.

Another Patronus ran into the room – a dog. It went straight to Bella;

"_Not friendly. The Order are all here and accounted for. Run if you have to. We are coming."_

"Shit." Bella said.

"Who was that from, Bella? What did they mean?" Jasper asked. He had slipped into a hunting crouch preparing to defend Alice.

"The Patronus I conjured earlier went to my Father. He is the only one I trust in a situation like this. I had to let him know that we have intruders. The dog was _his_ Patronus. His message was very simple –"

She was interrupted by a huge crash from upstairs. Someone had broken in through one of the bedroom windows.

"He meant to let me know that whoever is upstairs is _not_ friendly. All of the Order are with my Father and on their way here as we speak. Prepare yourselves – death eaters do not duel to injure. They _will_ kill you. If I tell you to run – do _not_ hesitate."

She crouched down and aimed her wand at the stairs.

"Come out, come out wherever you are!" A deep, masculine voice boomed.

A man appeared at the bottom of the stairs. He barely saw Bella before she yelled;

"Stupefy!" A jet of red light flew from her wand and hit the man in the chest. He slammed backwards onto the stairs and slipped into unconsciousness.

"Expelliarmus! Incarcerous!" His wand left his hand as ropes flew from her wand and tied themselves around his body – trapping him.

"Wingardium leviosa!" She levitated his sleeping body to the ceiling and turned her attention back to the front door.

"There are two more outside, Bella. I can hear their heartbeats." Jasper said.

"Do we run or fight?" I asked her.

"Run – the Order will be here in a minute. They're twenty strong. They'll take care of the intruders."

Before we could move, the front door flew open and the two masked wizards came running inside... with at least twenty stone soldiers following them.

Bella twirled and began raining down a shower of hexes on the duo and they fought back, matching her skill evenly. I tried to move – to step forward and help her, but I couldn't make my legs move. It was as though they were physically glued to the floor. I looked at the family and noticed that they, too, couldn't move.

I began to panic as I realised that one of the wizards had cast some sort of spell on us –holding us in place. We had no chance of defending ourselves.

Bella moved with beautiful fluidity. Her wand never stilled as she continuously deflected spells and cast offensive charms. She was brilliant.

This duel was _nothing_ like the practice sessions that Bella had done with Harry in the yard. Everything was so much _faster. _

"You would die to protect them?" One of the wizards yelled between curses. It was clear that he didn't understand why she was defending a coven of vampires.

He threw a hex in our direction and Bella jumped in front of Rosalie. We heard a crack as the spell made impact. I winced – not knowing what he had hit her with. He struck again as she tried to breathe through the pain – the spell caught her on the face, knocking her into Emmett.

She aimed her wand roughly at his body and sent what I knew to be a stunning curse at him. He deflected it, but it had given her the time she needed to compose herself.

Bella's speed doubled and she sent another jet of red light at the wizard who had spoken to her. It hit him on the neck and he flew into the wall. He wouldn't be getting up any time soon.

She deflected curse after curse before sending one of her own towards the remaining wizard – when it connected with him, he began to dance uncontrollably. She disarmed him and left him dancing. He couldn't hurt her for now.

The dancing wizard knew that he wasn't going to win this fight and fled. Bella aimed a curse at his retreating figure. A lasso shot from the top of her wand and wrapped around the mans feet, causing him to fall onto the ground. She disarmed him and bound him tightly to his friends on the ceiling.

When she came back into the room, I gasped. She had a gash on her lip that was bleeding profusely. Her lip was swelling rapidly. She walked stiffly – clutching her ribs.

"Are you all ok?" she said tiredly.

"We're fine – but none of us are able to move. We're stuck here." Alice said.

Bella looked at each of us in confusion, before pointing her wand in our direction;

"Finite maxima."

I tried to move and found that I was once again in control of my body. I ran straight for Bella and swept her into my arms.

"Freezing spell," she murmured, "I didn't even see them cast one – I'm sorry."

"Don't you dare apologise," Rosalie interrupted, "you just fought three wizards on your own and defended us at the same time. You could have run, but you _stayed. _You jumped in front of me and took that curse that would have hit me!"

The rest of her speech was cut off when at least twenty resonating 'pops' sounded from the front yard – one after the other. The order were here.

"BELLA!" A man yelled from the garden.

"I'm in here."

A tell gentleman entered the room first and ran straight for Bella at inhuman speed – taking her from my arms. He wore a knee length green velvet jacket. His black trousers had a singular green velvet stripe running down the outside of each leg. His black waistcoat held an expensive pocket watch. Whoever this man was – he had a lot of money.

I moved my inspection up to his face. It as youthful – he looked no older than 25. His vivid green eyes showed his fear for Bella's safety – and his relief that she was relatively unharmed. He shared Bella's chocolate curly hair, which was long enough to brush his shoulders. They smiled the same smile – each showing a row or perfect, white teeth and matching dimples.

"Bella my brave, darling girl –are you ok? Are you injured?"

The other members of the order entered the room and began their own assessments.

"I'm fine, Dad. My ribs are sore – but I don't know why. It wasn't a spell I recognised - so I couldn't deflect it. I didn't know the counter curse."

"Ok darling. Can you lift up your shirt? I need to see it."

She stood up and raised her shirt high enough for him to see – we all winced when we saw that her skin had completely blackened.

"I know what the spell is – but I can't understand why anyone would use it on a Veela." He murmured. "You'll need to sleep, sweetheart – it's the only way to heal it, I'm afraid."

She nodded, but mad-eye realised what had happened.

"Was this curse aimed at one of the Vampires by any chance Isabella?"

"It was aimed at me," Rosalie answered honestly, "Bella jumped in front of me."

"Isabella Asheya Black, do you mean to tell me that you _deliberately_ jumped in front of a curse – not knowing what it was?" One of the ladies questioned.

There was no doubt at all who she was – she could have been Bella's _twin. _Her features were harsher than Bella's and her hair was raven black – but there was no denying her beauty. This Veela was Bella's Mother.

"Sorry, Mum." She said giving her a hug.

Dumbledore – who we had met just once before, came forward and interrupted their tender moment.

"Isabella – where are the intruders?"

She looked up at the ceiling and the eyes of all 27 of us followed her gaze. There were several chuckles and a chorus of congratulations – but Dumbledore interrupted again.

"Miss Black – _where_ is Harry?"

"He's safe."

"I will need to know his exact location, Isabella."

As he said this, Bella's right arm began to glow. A swirling pattern of vines twisted up from her hand to her elbow.

"I'm sorry, professor – but I cannot speak the name of his location... I can only reassure you that he cannot be harmed."

Dumbledore steeped closer to Bella's arm and observed it with curiosity.

"The unbreakable vow," he murmured, "a very powerful spell. Not many would risk their life to protect another."

Dumbledore turned to the Order with such authority, that they all gave him their undivided attention, instantly.

"Thank you for coming to Miss Black's aide – though as you can see, she scarcely needed it."

A few more chuckles were heard throughout the room. Yes – my Bella needed no one to protect her.

"I am afraid, however, that I am going to have to ask you all to leave –"

"Now wait just a minute, Albus. My daughter was just attacked by snatchers. She's injured for Merlin's sake. I'm not leaving her. She's coming home –"

"Sirius, I can assure you that Isabella will be in the best care. I shall not leave her side – however, it is imperative that she takes me to Harry. He is completely alone and could not be at greater risk."

"Dad – I have to do this. I'm the only person who can get to him."

Sirius regarded his daughter, carefully. Although his mind was closed to me, I could tell from the myriad of expressions on his face, that he most certainly did _not_ want to part from his daughter.

"Sirius, please" Dumbledore started, "Isabella is no fool. She is an accomplished witch. She made an unbreakable vow to keep Harry's location a secret. She cannot speak the name of his location – it would be her demise. The only way to get to Harry is for Isabella herself, to collect him."

Bella looked at her Father imploringly.

"You go and get Harry, but then you pack your things and come _straight_ home. You will not be staying in Forks a moment longer. I was foolish to ever agree to it in the first place."

"Of course, Sir." Bella answered, respectfully. This seemed to mollify her Father, somewhat.

"Might I suggest that we all reconvene in an hour to discuss our future plans? Sirius, might we be able to use your home?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, yes – of course. Just bring little Bella home to me." He answered, dismissively, waving his hand.

"You have my word." Dumbledore vowed. No one would be able to doubt the sincerity in his voice.

"I must ask you all one last favour – none of you must utter Tom Riddle's chosen name."

The Order turned to Dumbledore in confusion;

"Tom Riddle has placed a curse on his name. The only people who ever call him by Lord... are the Order. It is how the snatchers found Isabella, this evening."

Bella stepped forward, then – halting the crowd of retreating wizards. She ran back into her Father's arms, surprising him.;

"I've missed you, dad." She whispered into the crook of his neck.

"I've missed you, too, little Bella. So very much. Hurry home to us. Your Mother has been frantic these past few months."

She nodded and released her Father, who, with a final longing look at his daughter, turned on the spot and apparated into the darkness.

Bella came back into the room. The only remaining people were my family and Dumbledore;

"Well, Isabella," Dumbledore began, "now that we are somewhat alone, would you be so kind as to apparate us to Harry?"

"Yes of course – but we wont be able to apparate. We'll have to take a portkey. It's the only way in."

Dumbledore stared at Bella with a calculating expression on his face;

"You cannot apparate inside the fidelius charm? Even if you know the location?" He questioned.

"No, professor. If anyone were to try, they would splinch themselves." She admitted.

"Ingenious." He murmured with a chuckle.

"Unpleasant, but effective. Professor, I should warn you –"

"Yes, Isabella?"

"Going to the location isn't enough. There are a few protective enchantments on the place..."

"We'll have to fight our way in?" He surmised.

"Yes, Sir."

"Excellent. I do love a challenge." He chuckled.

"I doubt it will be much of a challenge for you, Professor." She murmured, shyly.

"Really? Alistair Moody told me how you confounded even his abilities with the Morph. A Banshee, I believe?"

She nodded.

"May I ask what gave you the idea?" he enquired.

"Well," she began, shyly, "I was in the Owlery at Hogwarts when I first thought of Morphing."

She paused, composing herself.

"Go on," Dumbledore said, encouragingly.

"Well – owls are well known for their loyalty to their owners. But the school owls are not owned by any, one person in particular. They are for general use – so where do their loyalties lie? I found it strange that the staff would entrust these owls with personal items belonging to the students."

She tugged at the hem of her shirt – clearly embarrassed by her story.

"It was then that I realised – they're not real owls at all. They're ordinary items... a pen, perhaps? Or an old shoe? They have just been transfigured into owls. It's more cost effective than buying new owls every few years... but it also means that they will remain loyal. They are under your command."

"It explained how Filch was intercepting our mail last year for Professor Umbridge. I had always wondered how he was catching them. Not an easy task for a Squib. "

Dumbledore laughed, jovially and clapped his hands.

"My dear girl – I have been at Hogwarts for more years than I care to remember – and not _once_ has anyone discovered what you have. It's a rare moment, when a student questions not what they _do _see – but what they do _not _see."

Bella just blushed beautifully. She was amazingly modest.

"Well – perhaps we should be off?"

"Portus." Bella whispered. The familiar blue light glowed over a tin can that she had pulled from the back around her neck.

"Okay, Cullen's. You need to place a finger on the can. This will feel similar to apparating – but with a portkey you can travel much greater distances."

"You're taking us with you?" Rosalie asked.

"Of course I am! Of course, you're under no obligation to come with us..." she trailed off uncertainly.

"But wont your Father mind us turning up on your doorstep?" Esme asked worriedly.

"Of course not. Dad's motto has always been 'the more the merrier'. Besides, half of the Order are living with my parents, anyway." She chuckled.

Esme was not convinced – but she didn't have time to question Bella any further, as the tin can began to glow blue, once more.

"If you're coming, place a finger on the can." Bella said, hurriedly.

Without any hesitation – the entire family stepped over to the can and laid a finger on it. Within a few short seconds, we were pulled out of our home in Forks and spun off into the night.

Bella had been right to warn us that the sensation would be similar to apparation. I felt as though I were being squeezed through a rubber tube.

"Let go!" Bella yelled over the wind.

We all complied with her instructions and allowed our selves to fall to the ground. The hundred foot drop wouldn't hurt a Vampire – but I hadn't thought to ask Bella what would happen if she fell from such a height. Her skin was as tough as ours – but this was no short leap.

Dumbledore seemed to used some sort of hover charm to lower himself to the ground, slowly. Bella however, pulled her broom from her small, velvet bag and zoomed down at incredible speed. She jumped off and stowed her broom – throwing me a wink in the process.

"Marvellous," Dumbledore said, "I do enjoy and good dismount, Miss Black. Now, where are we, might I ask?"

I looked around and found us to be in an abandoned car park. It had obviously not been used in many years.

"I don't actually know!" said Bella, happily. "This place is unplottable."

Dumbledore laughed in amusement.

"A space between spaces, Miss Black? Another of Hogwarts tricks..."

"Revelio!" Bella shouted.

On the floor of the car park, large gold letters appeared. Bella stepped back and let us read what they said;

I am the beginning of the end, and the end of time and space. I am essential to creation, and I surround every place. What am I?

"Oh I do love a good riddle, Isabella." Dumbledore chuckled, genially.

We all stood there, each silently trying to work out the riddle.

The beginning of the end? _Armageddon? _But that wasn't essential to _creation..._ Creation was the beginning of time it's self...

The two sentences contradicted each other entirely, though. The end of time would suggest _destruction_ of everything... whereas creation suggested the establishment of all things. It was an absolute conundrum.

I probed the thoughts of my family, to see how they were faring with the task in front of us – but they were as stumped as I was.

Carlisle was running through old texts that he had read in Volterra – looking for any unusual opinions on the creation of earth.

Jasper was taking a combative approach. He was tackling each sentence separately, arranging suitable answers for each and then cross referencing his outcomes against each other.

"Ah," Dumbledore said quietly, "very clever, Miss Black."

He smiled at Bella, who stood there impassively – letting us work it our for ourselves.

"I believe the answer, is the Letter 'E'." He said.

The letter _E? _I looked back at the riddle again and laughed when I saw the Dumbledore was indeed right.

The beginning of the (E)nd

The end of tim(e) and plac(e)

Surround (E)very plac(e)

As soon as he said those words, the car park the we were standing in, shifted. Gone was the bleak grey tarmac. In it's place stood a lone cottage, happily situated in a small rose garden.

"Tell me, Isabella – should I be expecting any more trouble?"

"There is more than a simple riddle protecting this house, Sir. Would you like me to remove the enchantments for easy access?"

"No, thank you, Isabella. Actually, I am rather intrigued to see what spells you have cast."

"If… you like…. I should warn you – this will be – _unpleasant…_" She trailed off uncertainly.

Why did Dumbledore care what protection the house had? We were taking Harry away from here, after all. I doubt they would return here. What would be the point?

Dumbledore took a hesitant step towards the door and stopped when we heard rustling coming from the bushes.

A small child emerged from the shrub. He couldn't have been older than four. His clothes were soiled and torn – his hair in disarray around his head. He sat down in the middle of the path and covered his ears with his tiny little hands.

Tears flowed freely down his face and he screamed, silently. Rosalie instinctively tried to approach the child, but was knocked backwards by an invisible shield.

Dumbledore tried various spells to penetrate the shield, but did not succeed.

Eventually, he stepped back and faced Isabella.

"Perhaps you should take down the protective enchantments, after all. You did extremely well, Miss Black. Only the very darkest of monsters could ever penetrate the depths of this house." He said, forlornly.

Bella raised her wand – a brilliant gold light emitted from it's tip and spread over the house. The child, vanished.

"I don't understand-" Rosalie said, shaking. "Where is the little boy?"

"He's gone, Rosie." Bella said, sadly.

"But where did he go? You said that only the darkest of creatures could enter this house. Why?"

She pushed for answers to her questions. Both Isabella and Dumbledore seemed reluctant to answer.

Dumbledore eventually turned to her – deliberating, I'm sure, on how to phrase his answer.

"Isabella was able to remove the enchantments on the house, because _she_ cast them. For anyone else seeking entrance to the house – the price would have been steep, indeed."

"What would it have cost them?" Carlisle asked.

"Their soul." Bella whispered, quietly.

"I don't understand." Emmett said.

I understood, though. I realized what Dumbledore was so reluctant to say.

"The child," I said, "they would have to kill the boy."

"_No."_ Rosalie shook with silent sobs. "How _could_ you, Bella? How could you _use_ him to serve your own selfish needs?"

Dumbledore stood in front on Rose and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Think, Miss Hale. Think of what you saw with your own to eyes in Forks. Think of what Isabella said about the owls at Hogwarts."

"It – the child… the child was a Morph?" she sobbed.

"Yes, my dear. The child was a Morph. An inanimate object, charmed into a boy and controlled by Bella. It's responses were simple. He was 'programmed' to sit and cry. Should anyone try to get past him, he would project an impassable shield."

"So – when you said, only the darkest of monsters –"

"Yes – no one else would have known that he wasn't a real child. They would have had to end his short life to gain entry. It's sad that we have to use tricks such as these… but war is not pleasant…."

She nodded and Emmett pulled her into his arms.

"Shall we proceed?" Dumbledore enquired.

I took Bella's hand as she approached the door;

"Alohamora."

The door swung open and we stepped into the rustic cottage. It was decorated with eclectic pieces – timeless. They would have fit in my parents house ninety years ago, and they would still be fashionable a hundred years from now.

"Harry?" Bella called.

I heard him before I saw him. He came running out of a door to the left of the corridor. His hair was a dishevelled mess – as though he had been running his hands through it constantly since he left Forks an hour ago.

"Bella! You're ok!" He yelled giving her a massive hug. "I was so worried! You should have sent an owl to let me know what was happening. Wait – what _is _happening?"

Dumbledore stepped forwards and clapped Harry on the shoulder.

"Professor Dumbledore?" He said disbelievingly. "What are you doing here?"

"Well my dear boy – I am part of your rescue team." He answered, happily. "In answer to your other question, we shall be taking you to your God-Father's home. The Order are gathered there, awaiting further instructions."

"Blimey – right, okay. Let's do that, then."

Dumbledore summoned another port key – and pulled Harry to his side.

"Isabella – I have - _business _- with Harry. Would you be able to get yourself and the Cullen coven back to your parents home?"

"Of course. You go on – I'll see you there, Harry." With one last wave, their port key glowed and they disappeared.


	11. Daddy, this is Edward

"Well," Started Emmett, "today has been one for the books!"

"You can say that again." Jasper said. He actually sounded tired – something that Bella picked up on, instantly.

"I realise how awful this must be for you all. You have given the last nine months of your lives to the Order – and I _know_ that they are all grateful for the help you gave us."

She turned to look at each one of us in turn before continuing;

"But you're under no more obligation. If this is too much for you, I can have you delivered safely back to your home in Forks and you can forget all about this. The snatchers were apprehended, so they will be unable to identify you. You will all be able to go on with your lives without any more interference from the Order."

"What about you, Bella? What will you do?" Esme asked.

"I promised my Father that I would go home and I intend to keep that promise."

She walked over to the window and looked out into the garden. Her eyes trained on the spot where the young boy had sat not ten minutes ago.

"I don't belong in this world." She said, tiredly. "I don't _want_ to spend the rest of eternity pretending to be something I'm not."

"In the magical world, I can be myself. I'm loved for who I am, sure – but I'm also accepted for _what _I am. My parents house is currently home to all manner of creatures. There are Veelas – Vampires – Werewolves and Elves. We even have a ghost! But none of that is ever mentioned... to each other, we're just family."

"What about outside of your home, though? How do the rest of the magical world react to you all?" Rosalie asked.

"You have to understand, Rosalie, that supernatural creatures are _normal _to us. You're thinking from an entirely human perspective. The humans would be wary of you at first – but as soon as they found out about your choice in diet, they would welcome you into the fold as they would _any_ creature."

She turned back to face us and smiled;

"Your introduction to the magical world has been blinded by the war. Just last year, things were so very different... and they will be once again. When this is all over? I will spend eternity with my immortal family. We won't have to move around every few years and repeat high school again and again. It doesn't matter that we wont age – everyone in our world knows that we're immortal. It's a gift... to live forever. Something that shouldn't be squandered." She was positively beaming by this point.

"There are so many thing that I want to _do!_ I want to be an Auror – I want to play professional Quidditch – I want to teach potions at Hogwarts – I want to be a healer at 's... and I can! I have forever to do it and my family will be there by my side, supporting me – until the world stops spinning. But in order for that to happen – for me to have that 'happy ever after' - I need to go home. I need to help _fight_ these parasites. How you choose to spend your own eternity is entirely up to you. Just say the word and I'll have you back at Forks... or you can come with me. It's entirely your choice."

It was a moot point, for me. I knew that I would be going with Bella – even if it meant never seeing my own family again. I simply could not be parted from my mate.

"I'm coming with you, sweet girl. I know nothing of your world, but I do know that I want you by my side wherever we live." I confessed.

She walked over to me and literally climbed into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist and burying her face into my neck.

"Thank you, baby. I promise that you wont regret it."

She climbed down and turned from me to face the family – who were still very much undecided.

"Portus." She created another port key and gave it to Carlisle.

"I can't make this decision for you. You need to discuss it as a family – without my interference. This port key will be leaving for Forks in five minutes. If you want to go home, grab onto it when it turns blue. If you want to come with me and Edward – let it go."

She backed away from him and addressed the room;

"I'll give you some time to talk it over." She kissed me on the cheek and left the room – closing the door behind her.

"Well," Carlisle asked, "what are we going to do?"

"We can't very well expect Bella's family to take us into their home. It wouldn't be right..." Esme offered.

"I agree – we can't even buy our own home. We were in England just fifteen years ago. We would be too easily recognised." Carlisle reasoned.

"What scares me is the dark magic that the snatchers were using. Bella never showed us anything like _that..." _Emmett said.

I felt an irrational urge to defend my mate from him. He had no right.

"Of course she didn't – she's _nothing_ like the cowards that attacked us. She's pure and kind. You heard what she told her Father... she didn't even _recognise_ the magic that they were using. She wouldn't touch dark magic –"

"No man," Emmett interrupted, "I didn't mean it like that. Of course she wouldn't be involved in dark magic. I just didn't realise how easy it would be for _others_ to use it. Bella is a great girl, Edward – I love her like my own sister – but we can't defend ourselves against wand users. How am I supposed to keep Rosie safe when I don't know who is good and who is bad?"

There were general murmurs of agreement throughout the room.

"You only have about a minute left." I reminded them.

"We're going home – I've seen it." Alice said. "People will be suspicious if we all leave tonight. We will come back to London in a few days."

I nodded and pulled her into a hug.

"You take care, Alice – okay? You too Rosie."

Esme and Rose joined our hug and sobbed quietly. We hadn't been separated for over fifty years. My brothers and Carlisle exchanged quick hugs and handshakes before going back to their mates.

"Call us as soon as you can, Edward." My Father told me, sternly. I smiled – he truly had the 'dad' part covered.

"I will."

They gathered around the port key as it glowed. I looked at each of them, sadly. I knew, in that moment, that I would never return to the muggle world. My world was with Bella. I loved my family – but I couldn't keep up the facade anymore. I didn't want to. I raised my hand and waved one final time... then the port key shook – and they were pulled away from me, into the darkness before disappearing from my sight and my life, completely.

Bella came into the room and pulled me into her arms.

"You don't have to do this, you know. You can go home to them – I'll visit when I can..."

"No sweet girl. They'll be joining us in a few days. They can't leave people with lingering suspicions. I'm unbelievably excited to be going with you... is that wrong?"

She laughed at me and pulled me to my feet.

"How can it be wrong? You don't belong in the muggle world, either, Edward. I'm taking you _home."_

_Home._

I smiled and took her outstretched hand. She led me out of the house and into the garden. I knew when we had left the safety of the fidelius charm, because the house disappeared again.

"Are you ready?"

"Lead the way..."

She twisted on the spot and pulled me into her arms as we disapparated. When my feet touched solid ground again, I looked around and tried to get my bearings. I didn't know where she had taken us, but it was a long way from Forks. It was _daytime_ here. We seemed to be in the middle of a field. I could see nothing but beautiful rolling landscape for _miles._ Bella twisted me around and pointed East. In front of us stood an enormous manor house. It had to be at least ten times the size of our home in Forks. It was old fashioned, grey stone with Ivy twisting up one side. I could see peacocks grazing on the lawn in front of the house. I turned again, facing North, this time. About three hundred yards away was a large lake. Ducks and geese swam freely in the clear water. There were wild horses running over the hill behind it.

Bella grabbed my hand and led me towards the house.

"Come on – let's go inside."

"Er, sure. Bella? Where are we?"

She laughed and stroked my cheek, softly.

"Sorry – I didn't mean to be so vague. I'm just excited to be here Edward. This is my parents house."

"You grew up here? In _this_ house?"

The whole place was like something out of a fairytale – any child would have been lucky to grow up here. It occurred to me that her _parents_ we waiting on the other side of the door. All of a sudden, I was very nervous. I had seen them, earlier on – but the circumstances hadn't been ideal .We weren't introduced at all and now I'm turning up on their doorstep - uninvited. _Shit._

Bella showed no hesitation as she magically unlocked the door and pulled me inside. We were in a grand entrance – there was white marble everywhere. The whole place _screamed_ money. She tugged my hand down the exceptionally long corridor at an inhuman pace. When we reached the final door, I heard the voices of the Order. Most of their minds were shielded, but there were a few who's thoughts were shouting out at me. Bella didn't open the door immediately, but turned towards me and held my face in between her tiny hands.

"Please don't be nervous, Edward. They're going to _love_ you." Even though her family were supernatural – they would never have heard her comment. It was said just for me. Drawing courage from her certainty, I smiled at her, showing that I was ready to go inside.

She took my hand again and opened the door with her wand. Inside the room was pandemonium. There were at least thirty wizards sitting around the largest table I had ever seen. It was laden with enough food to feed a hundred grown men for a week. They were talking and laughing boisterously. I spotted Bella's parents at the end of the table. They were talking to some sort of Elf? I didn't know for certain so I wouldn't say anything at all. The last thing I wanted to do was offend the poor creature in front of Bella's entire family and humiliate myself.

"Bella! Edward!" Harry sprung up from his seat and the room went deathly quiet as everyone turned around to get a look at us. He pulled Bella into a massive hug before turning to me;

"Edward- how are you? Where are the rest of your family?"

"They're in Forks, Harry. They needed to tie up some loose ends. They'll be coming to London in a few days."

"Oh – well at least they're coming. Are you staying though? Or just a flying visit?"

I didn't get a chance to answer before the man I recognised as Bella's father, came over, followed closely by Bella's mother. The room was still silent as the Order watched Bella and her parents enjoy their reunion. When her parents pulled away from her, she turned back to me and took my hand.

"Mum, Dad this is my mate, Edward Masen."

"Edward – these are my parents Sirius Black and his wife, Andromeda."

If I had been human, my heart would have been crashing out of my chest. I was about to extend my hand to shake Bella's Fathers – but to my absolute surprise, he pulled me into a hug.

"Edward, son. Good to finally meet you. Bella has, of course, told us all about you." He whispered conspiratorially.

I tired to hide my surprise at his warm welcome, but it didn't go unnoticed by him.

"Don't be alarmed – we may look like an unruly bunch, but I promise that you'll fit right in."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Oh don't call me, Sir. That's my Father's name –"

"I heard that, Sirius!"

"Sorry, Sir!" The whole table laughed at their antics and I felt myself smile.

I was taken around the table by Sirius, who introduced me to everyone. This hadn't been the interrogation that I had been worried about. Everyone seemed genuinely pleased to meet me.

Harry called us over and everyone turned, once again to hear our conversation. I walked over to him at a human speed and took the empty seat between Harry and Sirius;

"So, Edward. You never did explain what happened after I left."

"Well, to be completely truthful, I think that last nights events were a bit of a reality check for us all."

I paused, momentarily, to check the reactions of the Order. No one seemed offended, so I carried on.

"Don't get me wrong, Bella was fantastic last night. She fought and captured three wizards on her own and took the impact of an unfamiliar curse for Rosalie... but they're scared. _We're _scared. Those wizards cast a charm over us that literally froze us in place. We didn't even feel them do it. We just couldn't move."

"You have to understand, that to a male Vampire – their first priority will _always_ be their mate... and truly, it's terrifying – watching someone threaten your mate and not being able to do a thing about it."

"Well that's fair enough. None of us like our friends being in danger." Ron supplied around a mouthful of food.

I was perplexed. I hadn't said a single thing about friends?

"Not friends, Ronald. _Mates._ Bella is his soul mate."

"How does that work, then? This mate thing?" Fred asked. He wasn't judgemental in any way. Just curious. After all – Bella, Fred and George had been best friends for their entire lives.

"Fred, don't be rude." Mrs. Weasley scolded.

"What? I'm curious! I asked Sirius a few years back and he told be to bugger off!"

"It's fine, Fred." I started. "The mating instinct... is not like human love. When we fall in love, it happens just once and it's permanent and unchangeable –"

"Wait a minute... you can only fall in love _once?"_ Ron yelped.

"Yes, Ron. Just once. When a vampire is bitten, everything about them is frozen, permanently. Not only will I never age, but my personality will always be the same, too. I have the same likes and dislikes, the same hobbies and interests that I did the day I died in 1918."

"1918? That means you're nearly a hundred!"

"Ronald, stop interrupting him. Let the man finish. He may not be aging, but you _are."_

"Closer to 110, actually – I was born on June 20th 1901. My point is, that Vampires are not designed to change – the _only_ major change we undertake after becoming immortal, is when we find our mate."

"So, if you don't mind my asking," Bill began, "what exactly happens, then? When you meet your mate?"

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I could hardly announce to the table that the first thing I thought when I saw Bella was that I wanted to bend her over and fuck her into next week. Sirius and his Father, William, noticed my discomfort and surprised me by laughing – loudly. They, of course, knew _exactly_ what I had felt... they would have experienced the same feelings with their own mates.

"What? What did I say?" Bill asked in confusion.

I squirmed uncomfortably. I _really_ didn't want to have to answer him – but I couldn't see a way out. Bella winked at me, sensing my distress, and I growled at her, lowly. A Vampires growl could make a grown man piss his pants – but not my Bella. No, she _laughed_ at me. I sighed – knowing that I didn't have a choice but to answer his question.

"From the very first moment that I laid eyes on my Bella, I _knew_, instinctively, that she was my mate. There was a certain draw to her. I thought her beautiful, obviously, but this was something _other. _ Something _more."_

"I felt an immense pull towards her – to be near her and protect her at all costs. I knew that her survival was entirely linked to my own. The more I got to know her, the more I realised that she could have been quite literally designed with me in mind. She is my perfect match in every sense of the word."

"What did you mean when you said that her survival in linked you own?" Hermione asked, curiously.

I winced. The thought of losing Bella caused me physical _pain. _Sirius noticed my discomfort and stepped in for me.

"Hermione, forgive me – but this is not an easy subject for a Vampire to discuss. Any Vampire being separated from their mate, whether by distance or by death is unendurable. The pain of it is too much to bear. When a Vampire meets their mate, they are quite literally linked together – tied irrevocably by supernatural bonds that cannot be broken. No Vampire should have to endure the loss of their mate. Death, itself, would be preferable." He whispered. He knew. He understood _exactly_ what I was feeling.

Isabella knew, too, instinctively, that I needed her. She walked around the table and curled up into my lap – letting me hold her. The second she was in my arms, I calmed, considerably.

"As you can see, Hermione – they are quite literally bonded. At the mere thought of being without Bella, he became unresponsive. When a human is upset, they have many things that cheer them up; a cup of tea, or a nice walk. Perhaps some music? This would not work for a Vampire. The only thing that could have calmed him down, was skin to skin contact with Bella." Sirius supplied.

"What about physical separation? Distance. How does a Vampire cope if their mate is in another country, for example?" She probed. Did this girl not realise that she was overstepping a boundary?

"They _don't_ cope. Edward, for example, has moved to the other side of the world to be with Bella – abandoning his coven of a hundred years. There is nowhere that she could go, that he would not want to follow." Sirius explained.

"That's barbaric! What about his free will? What if he didn't _want_ to leave his family."

I fought the urge to growl at her. She was making assumptions that she didn't understand.

"That is enough, child. You would do well to remember your place. For a bright, young witch – surely you haven't forgotten that you should not test a Vampire who is protecting his mate." William said with _absolute_ authority.

I glanced, briefly, at Hermione. She had turned a brilliant shade of red and looked properly chastised. From her thoughts, I could see that she had genuinely been curious – but was very embarrassed by her outburst. Apparently she had a bit of a reputation for being a know-it-all and had been working hard to dispel that image. This had been her first 'slip' in a while.

"The point that my son is trying to make, is that Edward _wants_ to be with my grand-daughter. All the trivial things that he used to occupy himself with are forgotten. His entire world is now and always will be, Isabella." William concluded.

"That sounds very similar to the way I felt when I met Fleur." Bill stated.

"I'm sorry," I offered, "I haven't had the pleasure. Fleur is your girlfriend?" I asked in confusion.

"Forgive me – we've heard so much about you in Bella's letters that I feel as if I have known you personally, for many years. I forget that you are new to this – to us. Fleur is my Fiancée. She is Bella's cousin – a Veela."

I smiled at Bella. I hadn't realised that she had spoken about me to her family at _all – _let alone regularly. She noticed my happy gawking and shrugged unapologetically. I turned my attention back to Bill, who was waiting for my response.

"I only know a little about the Veela equivalent of the mating connection. I never thought to question it. Bella said that she felt the same things that I did – so I put it to the back of my mind and thought nothing more of it." I admitted honestly.

"It is true that a Veela will feel the pull of the mating connection – however they differ from vampires in one large way."

"Go on." I encouraged.

"They are not 'frozen', as you put it. They do not age, but their personalities change. They have hormones controlling them – feeding their personalities just as a human does. They are capable of falling in love as often as their heart dictates." Bill finished.

Absolute ice-cold _dread_ washed through me and my arms tightened instinctively around Bella. How had I not known this? Was I to spend eternity worrying that she would meet another? Someone whom she loved more than me? Someone _human? _Someone who could give her _warmth _and _sunlight_.

"Edward? Baby? Look at me, sweetheart. _Please."_

There were so many others out there. Any man would chew his right arm off for a single night with my Bella. They would be a fool not to want her – to covet her...

Well they wouldn't get her. I would give her _anything_ she wanted. There is nothing that I won't do to keep her. I just need to be better than the competition. I need to keep her happy, always, so that she never feels the need to look elsewhere.

"Please, Edward. Come back to me, honey."

I thought back over our relationship – a new flash of dread washed through me as I realised that I had not _once_ taken her out on a date. I had never written her a romantic letter or bought her flowers. I had never wooed her or courted her. I fuck her night after night and that was it. That was all I had offered her, so far.

"You of all people should have known better, Bill. They're newly mated for Merlin's sake. We're lucky that he hasn't snatched Bella and run!"

Well I would change that. This very second. I would show her every single fucking day how much she meant to me. I wasn't going to let some spotty, pre-pubescent runt get his hands on my girl.

"_Edward!_"

I felt Bella grab my face in both of her hands. I was looking at her, but I couldn't think around the dread. My instinct had taken over and the only thing I could think about was making things right with Bella.

"Take him to my office, Bella. I'll talk to him. Try not to worry, sweetheart. It's a phase. All newly mated vampires go through this. We just have to support him until it passes."

"Edward, honey – we're going to go to Dad's office, okay? Can you do that for me?"

I nodded – wanting nothing more than to have my girl away from all these unmated males. She tried to stand up but I physically couldn't let her go. I picked her up and wrapped her legs around my waist as I held her to me furiously.

"Edward, son?"

I turned towards Sirius and saw him moving closer to me with his hands out in front of him as though he were surrendering. I fought the instinct to growl at him. He was Bella's father. He wasn't a threat.

"Edward – will you follow me to my office? I know what you are feeling right now, son. I only want to help. William will be coming, too. We're not a threat to Bella... or your connection. I just want to get you to a room that only has blood related males in it, ok?"

I nodded frantically... unbelievably glad that he understood... that he was willing to help.

William put his arm around my shoulder and led me from the room with Bella still in my arms. I checked behind me, to make sure that no one was sneaking up on us; Sirius was there.

"There's no one coming, Edward. I wont let anyone up come up this corridor until we're safely in my office. I promise. Bella is safe and she's yours, son. She yours."

I relaxed infinitesimally... knowing that her father was there.

"Just come through here, Edward," William offered, kindly, "there will be no one in the office but us."

We walked through the door to the office and Sirius closed it behind us. I glanced down at Bella and saw that she had fallen asleep.

"Do you need me to wake her up, Edward?" Sirius asked.

I stiffened.

"No – please don't, she needs her sleep. I want her to heal."

They gestured for me to take a seat in one of the plush leather arm chairs behind the desk. I calculated which chair would make it easiest for me to get Bella out of there in an emergency, before sitting down.


	12. The mating connection

I knew that I was being irrational – but the mating instinct was inhuman. I was a newly mated vampire and I had just been informed that Bella may not always want me. She could chose someone else and I would have to spend eternity watching in the arms of another man.

I had enough wherewithal to be embarrassed by my behaviour. I had just humiliated myself in front of all of Bella's closest friends and relatives.

"I'm so sorry –" I started.

"Do not apologise for loving my daughter, Edward. For needing her so much that it hurts. I will not hear of it. You did what _any_ Vampire would do in that situation."

I rejected his easy acceptance. I needed him to understand how sorry I was – how embarrassed...

"I should have-"

"Should have what, Edward? Ignored your instincts? Impossible. Bella told us, you know – she explained how you were forced to live in the muggle world. Never revealing what you are – moving every few years – living in the shadows – curbing your appetite – hiding your speed, your strength. In essence, you have spent a century repressing every natural instinct that our kind have." Sirius stated.

I nodded and watched as he took a seat next to his Father.

"Bella said the same thing. She said it wasn't healthy – to force myself to be something I'm not. To pretend to be human..."

"Quite right she is, too." William offered. "How you didn't go crazy, I'll never understand. We should have tracked you down, sooner – you could have been here, all this time. You could have helped to raise Bella. You would have enjoyed those extra years, I'm sure..." he trailed off remorsefully.

I was confused – what did he mean 'track me down?'

"I don't understand... do you mean that Dumbledore should have placed Harry in our protection at an earlier date?" I answered, honestly.

The two Vampires exchanged a look of surprise. Sirius recovered first and turned to me expectantly;

"You mean Bella never told you? She never spoke of her pre-cognitive dreams?"

I thought back over the last several months. I have heard the term in passing – but had never thought to bring it up. I had been so busy trying to get Bella to leave me alone, that I had put the term out of my mind and never thought of it again.

"No, she never mentioned anything. I heard Alistair Moody question her, once – he spoke of a music box, in this very office. Apparently you bought it for Bella after she had her first pre-cognitive dream. I meant to ask her about it, but it slipped my mind with everything else that's been going on."

"I did, indeed. This is the music box."

He gestured to a beautiful wooden box. It was intricately carved – a woodland scene was displayed on the outer edge. The creatures roamed freely. The detail was exquisite.

"It's beautiful... but why doesn't she have it with her? The way she spoke of it – it seemed to be very precious to her." I asked.

The men exchanged a smile. William turned to the cabinet behind him and withdrew a large stone basin. I recognised it as a pensieve. Dumbledore had used one to show us Harry's story when he first approached us.

"Isabella asked me to keep this box safe, my boy. I have had it in my possession for nearly thirteen years, now. She asked me only to show it to one person in particular."

"Who was she saving it for?" I asked, curiosity ripping at me.

"You, son." Sirius said.

"Me? But you said she asked you to look after it thirteen years ago? I have only known Bella for two months..." I trailed off uncertainly.

"She has known you for so much longer. She's been waiting for you." William said, sadly.

"I don't understand. You mean her mate? She was waiting for her mate?" I questioned.

"No, Edward," William answered, "Bella was waiting for _you._ She has known you for ten years."

"What? How? I haven't been to England for fifteen years."

"Bella told me that your sister, Alice, was gifted with foresight?" William probed. I nodded dutifully.

"Well," he continued, "so are Veela. They do not have random visions of the future. Their gift is extremely abstract. It is not an exact science. They do not see dates or times or locations – just a vague outline of one particular thing."

Intrigue flashed through me. I couldn't believe that Bella had never _told_ me about this.

"What did she dream about?" I whispered.

"You, son. Bella dreamed about you."

An unnamed emotion swept through me and I found myself gripping onto Bella as though she might slip through my fingers and disappear.

"It is difficult to explain – but perhaps you would permit us to show you? You have used a pensieve before, I understand?" William asked.

"Show me – please."

Sirius placed the tip of his wand at his temple and pulled a memory from his head. Thicker than smoke, but certainly not solid – he slipped the silvery substance into the pensieve.

"After you then, Edward." William gestured.

I hesitated, momentarily before plunging my face into the water. My feet instantly left the office I had been sat in and I found myself back in the dining room that the Order had occupied earlier. Sirius was sat at the table, reading the daily prophet, when William walked in, carrying Bella. She couldn't have been older than three or four. She wore a cute little blue dress and tiny little socks. Her hair hung in familiar ringlets down her back. She was beautiful.

"_Good morning, sweetheart," Sirius said, "did you sleep well?"_

_She rubbed her eyes with her tiny fists and nodded her head._

"_Good – are you ready for your breakfast?"_

"_Yes please. Can I have some paper, too?"_

"_Paper?" Sirius questioned._

"_Please. I want to make a picture."_

"_Of course, sweetheart." Sirius served her a large breakfast, before producing some parchment and a quill. William sat down beside her and stroked her hair lovingly while she drew her picture. I couldn't see what it was, but she looked so happy – sitting with her Father and grand-father as she drew her picture._

_The adults spoke quietly for a few moments, before William leaned over towards Bella and frowned at the paper she was working on. _

"_Isabella?" He questioned. "Who are you drawing, sweet girl?"_

"_My Edwod."_

_A rush of excitement flashed through me. I was sure that I had heard her wrong... but it sounded so much like she had said my name._

"_Who, darling?" Sirius asked._

"_My Edwod. I dweamed about him."_

_Both Vampires sat up and leaned closer to her, trying to get her attention._

"_You dreamed about this man? This is Edward?" Sirius confirmed._

"_Yes. I dweamed about my Edwod." She said happily, swinging her legs back and forth as she drew._

"_Who is Edward sweetheart?" William asked. _

"_He's mine."_

"_Yours?"_

"_Yes. Mine. He has pwetty eyes. They're gowd."_

"_Gold eyes?" William confirmed._

"_Yes. Gowd eyes."_

_The two men exchanged a concerned look before William mouthed 'vampire' at Sirius questioningly. Sirius nodded, having come to the same conclusion. _

The memory ended there and we were sucked back into the office. I looked down at Bella, who was still sleeping peacefully in my arms. She had known that I was her mate. She had _waited_ for me.

My reverie was interrupted by Sirius who drew my attention back to the music box. He opened the lid and I listenend to the familiar sound of 'once upon a dream' ring out through the room.

He pulled a piece of parchment out of the box and handed it to me. I took it, gently and opened it.

It was a picture of me.

"That is the actual picture that she drew that morning thirteen years ago, Edward. She dreamt of you many times since then – but that was the first picture. There are many other drawings. I kept them all, hidden in this box."

"Bella asked me to keep them for you. She told me that a day would come, when you would need the reassurance that she loved you. She must have dreamt of this day before it happened. She knew that your mating instinct would kick in. She knew that you would need to see the contents of this box."

I sat there, dumbfounded, looking through the _hundreds_ of pictures that she had drawn – all of _me._ I actually recognised some of the drawings. I knew the locations. I had _lived_ these drawings. They were still images of moments in my life...

"If I had known that you were being forced to hide in the muggle world – that you had no choice but to live a sheltered life, a half-life... I would have tracked you down sooner. I didn't know, Edward. If I had, I would have brought you home, to Bella. To us." Sirius said, sadly.

"As would I," William confirmed. "You have to understand that Bella has spoken about you for _years, _son. We feel as though we already know you. You are already family to us. I know this is strange –"

"It's not strange," I interrupted, "it's incredible. _She's_ incredible." I admitted, honestly. "If I had known, I would have tried to find you. I would have loved to see her grow up. I would have loved to have shared her childhood with you."

"Well we would very much like you to stay, Edward. We can expand Bella's room so that there is space for your things?"

"I would not be intruding? I do not want to overstay my welcome. You have been so kind, already."

"Son - the whole family has waited thirteen years to meet you... and we are so glad that you are finally here." Sirius stated.

"We would like to help you, Edward. You do not have to hide here. You can be yourself – for the first time in a century. It will be difficult, at first, to allow yourself to move at your natural speed – to display your natural strength. You have repressed your nature for so very long. It will be difficult to reverse, but should you wish to stay, we will all be here to support you."

I looked at the two vampires in front of me. I could not read their minds, but their emotions were displayed plainly on their faces. They really _did_ consider me as family.

They were offering to help me undo a hundred years of repressing my baser instincts. A hundred years of hiding and relocating. A century of pretending to be human. I would struggle immensely, I knew, with the concept of being accepted for who I am rather than what I was turned into. But they were willing to help. Their easy acceptance had already chipped away at some of the carefully constructed facade I had built since my life ended in 1918.

Bella had told me that she was taking me _home._ That I would be loved and accepted. I would thrive and achieve. I could have goals and a future. It had been too much to hope – too much to believe, but she was right. I had a place here, with my Bella and her Family. I _fit_ here.

"Thank you." That was all I managed to get out before I started sobbing uncontrollably. I felt two pairs of stone arms wrap around me – and I knew that I would be okay.

Bella began to stir in my arms, causing William and Sirius to pull back, allowing her room to wriggle in my lap. They chuckled, fondly, as she rubbed at her eyes – fighting the last remnants of her nap. She opened her eyes and stared up at me – she blinked a few times in a daze before sitting up in my lap, slowly – a timid look on her face;

"Did they show you? Did you see our pictures?" She asked, timidly.

I nodded and pulled her tighter into the circle of my arms.

"They showed me, sweet girl. I can't believe you knew all along that I was your mate. You were so _patient_ with me. You _knew_ that we were destined to be together – yet you gave me the space I needed to adjust. _Thank you_, sweetheart."

She nuzzled into my neck and fisted her small hands into my shirt.

"You're welcome... _Edwod_." She giggled.

"Bella, love. How are your injuries? Did your nap help?" William asked, worriedly.

She wriggled around a bit in my lap, experimentally, causing reactions that you _really_ don't want to have in front of your future Father-in-law.

"I feel fine now, grandpa. I'm _ravenous_, though. I haven't eaten anything since last night!"

"Run along and get some food, then. The Order are still eating – there's plenty left."

She nodded and climbed down from my lap, kissing me swiftly on the cheek before running off- murmuring something about 'ice-cream' on the way.

"Are you ready to head back in, Edward?" William asked.

I was still _so_ embarrassed about my behaviour earlier on. The Order must have thought I was _insane._

"I can tell what you're thinking, Edward. Trust me – the majority of the people sitting at that table have seen for stranger things than a Vampire having a mating moment. The younger lot, who didn't understand, have had everything explained to them by Dro."

I nodded and stood. I didn't believe him at all when he tried to assure me that everything was fine, but I didn't really have any other choice but to follow them back to the dining room and face up to the consequences of my behaviour. We walked quickly back to the door and I slid into the dining room at Vampire speed, hoping that no one would notice my entrance. Bella, however, followed my quick movement and waved me over to the empty chair next to hers. If it were anyone else, I would have pretended that I hadn't seen the friendly gesture – but I could no more ignore Bella, then I could cut off my arm.

I reluctantly walked over to her side and sat down. She rested her hand in my lap reassuringly and returned to her conversation with Remus.

"Are you not eating, Edward?" Ron asked with a mouthful of food. "Here, have some apple pie. Mrs Black always transfigures the food for Sirius and William." He spooned a large portion into a bowl and pushed it towards me.

It smelled delicious – nothing like the food they served in the cafeteria at Forks. Thankful for the distraction, I tucked in. It was _incredible._

"Merlin, Ron. Close your mouth when you eat! No one needs to see that..."

Another red-haired man had joined the group since I had left. He was the image of bill – yet he was older. His eyes were tired and his hair was beginning to recede. He took his own plate of apple pie before turning to me.

"You must be Edward?" I nodded, not wanting to talk with my mouth full. "I'm Arthur Weasley. Sorry I wasn't here for your arrival. I've just come straight from work. It's nice to meet you, though –"

The rest of his sentence died out as Dumbledore strode into the room – the authority that he exuded with each step caused the room to fall into silence. Andromeda raised her wand and the table cleared, instantly. The plates and food literally disappeared. I briefly wondered where they had gone.

"Thank you for joining us this evening. I realise how much of your time you are sacrificing – I have asked much of you all and given very little in return and for that, I thank you. But now, I feel as though it is time that you had some of your questions answered." Dumbledore said. He had the rapt attention of each and every person in the room.

"As I'm sure you are aware, our dear Harry has spent the last nine months living in seclusion with a coven of Vampires in America. Two months ago, I sent Miss Black across the world, to join him." He stated, seriously.

"Many of you questioned why I entrusted his safety to a girl who is barely of age... I was unable to give my reasons at the time – but I can now conclude that she showed incredible dedication to Harry's protection. Of her own volition, she made an unbreakable vow to protect Harry."

Many of the wizards gasped and there were quiet murmurings of shock throughout the room.

"Under my instruction, she not only maintained the security of the house in America, but she also set up an emergency safe house. The level of protection used to keep Harry safe, undoubtedly saved his life this past evening. The charms she cast, gave Harry enough time to take a port key to safety. Isabella chose _not _ to run – and managed to apprehend the three intruders – without any help whatsoever."

There were many cheers and offers of congratulations. Dumbledore held his hands up and commanded silence once again.

"The three aforementioned 'snatchers' have been _questioned_ by our own Alistair Moody... who has just informed me of the identity of the intruders. We are currently detaining, thanks to Isabella's skill, Evan Rosier, Thorfinn Rowle and Fenrir Greyback."

There were screams of disbelief and concern. The whole room was panicking and I didn't understand why.

"I see that you understand the severity of the situation. For those of you who who have just joined us – the three men were _not_, in fact snatchers. Isabella apprehended three Death Eaters last night."

Death Eaters? She could have been _killed!_ These were no ordinary men, looking to trade wizards for Gold. These were highly trained killers. The best of the best. My arms tightened on my Bella, instinctively.

Andromeda put her head in her hands and sobbed quietly. Sirius pulled her into his arms – trying to comfort his mate.

"The bravery that Isabella showed last night, has quite literally changed the outcome of the war. Had Harry been captured, we would not have succeeded and quite possibly all been killed."

Sirius chose this moment to speak up. Apparently he had reached his limit.

"Now look here, Albus. You sent my daughter half way across the world to protect my Godson. You refused to give me their location or allow me to speak to them. They were both very nearly _killed_ last night. You keep saying that the key to winning the war is Harry – but you won't tell us _why!_ I've had it! This is my family. I suggest you give me a bloody good reason why you're sending my godson into the fray or else I will take him and hide him more deeply than you can possibly imagine!"

William put his hand on his sons shoulder and pulled him – gently – back into his seat.

"Actually, Sirius – I will be explaining my reasons tonight. By the end of this meeting, you will all know precisely why Harry is the critical component to our success." Dumbledore reasoned.

"But I wonder if perhaps, Miss black will indulge me once more."

The entire population of the room turned their attention to my Bella, who shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"What has Bella got to do with this?"

"Dad – please. Professor Dumbledore is trying to explain, but you have to let him." Bella pleaded .

"Isabella – it has come to my attention that you have been aware, for quite some time – as to my plan to defeat Tom Riddle."

She nodded, uncomfortably as the entire room gasped in shock.

"What are you talking about Albus? Why does Bella know?" Sirius was becoming agitated quickly. He wanted answers and he wanted them now.

"I hear so much more than I am supposed to, Daddy. I went to Professor Dumbledore's office and told him that I could hear him – I interrupted a meeting with Professor Snape. I didn't mean to listen in... During my last term at Hogwarts before it closed, Harry and Professor Dumbledore had frequents meetings. They spoke of things that I should not have been privy to... but I can't help what I hear..."

"What is it that you heard, little one?" William asked her. She turned towards Dumbledore, seeking permission to reveal his secret. He nodded and her and smiled.

"I know what Tom Riddle wants... I know how he remains undefeated. I know why he wont die."

The silence in the room was palpable- the atmosphere, thick with tension.

"Tom Riddle is immortal. Through his sins, he was able to split his soul and trap the remnants in inanimate objects. He made Horcruxes."

There was a beat of silence before pandemonium broke out. The older generation, knew obviously, what Bella was referring to. The younger witches and wizards just looked confused. Dumbledore offered a brief explanation to them;

"As Isabella said, a Horcrux can be anything – any object that you can touch. Every time Tom Riddle murdered someone – it quite literally tore his soul apart. There is old magic – _dark_ magic, that enabled his to trap the fragments of his soul within the objects. Until the Horcruxes are destroyed... he cannot die."

"But they could be _anything_!" George yelled over the hubbub.

"Actually – they're not. Thankfully, Tom Riddle takes great pride in his Magical education. His pure blood mania has made him predictable. He sought the most coveted items in Wizardry... things that belonged to the original founders of the school, for example." Dumbledore offered.

"But how will we find them?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Well, one has already been destroyed. Harry himself destroyed it in his second year. Many of you may remember the time when young Ginny Weasley was controlled by a bewitched diary? She opened the chamber of secrets? The diary belonged to Tom Riddle – I can confirm that it was a Horcrux, destroyed by Harry with the fang of a Basilisk."

There were general murmurs of disgust – no one could believe just how far this Tom Riddle would go to achieve complete immortality.

I believe that there are six more Horcruxes. Tom Riddle is particularly fond of his snake. He seldom lets it out of his sight. That I believe is the second of the seven. The third, is _this_ ring." He held out a ring which had split down the middle.

"It belonged to Salazar Slytherin himself. I am currently tracking the fourth. A locket, it was once a Slytherin family heirloom – but has since been lost. I believe, however that I may have finally tracked it down."

"But what about the others? The remaining three Horcruxes?" Bill asked.

"We are looking for any heirlooms of the original founders. They are listed in 'Hogwarts; A History. We know what they are – we just need to find them."

"Albus, you are talking about things that have been coveted, lost and stolen for _centuries. _We haven't a hope of finding them. They are gone! You've set us an impossible task." Remus said.

Bella shot up from her seat at a monumental speed, causing the humans to jump in fright. She pointed her wand at the ceiling and yelled;

"Accio!"

Her copy of Hogwarts; A History, flew through to open door and into her hands. She flipped open the book and began reading at an inhuman speed. Everyone watched on in silence as she read. Dumbledore, however, approached her, slowly.

"Isabella?"

She ignored him and continued reading –scanning the pages so quickly, that her eyes blurred. She stopped – the book open on a page about the 'lost Diadem of Ravenclaw'. Her hand flew to her mouth and she subconsciously tried to stifle her gasp.

"Isabella? What is it?" Dumbledore probed. He was standing right behind her now, gazing at the page she was reading.

"Could this be a Horcrux, Sir? Would the 'Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw' be valuable enough?" she asked, quietly.

"It is one of the items that I am searching for, yes." Dumbledore answered calmly.

"But it's lost! Isn't that the whole point? No one has seen it for centuries!" Fred yelled.

"That's not true, Fred. I've seen it. So have you."

Dumbledore took Bella by the shoulders and stared into her eyes, frantically.

"Are you certain, Isabella? Absolutely sure?" He asked.

"Yes, Sir. Goodness, I've even tried it on! I wasn't sure until just now – but the picture in the book is identical to the tiara that I wore... I didn't know." She stammered.

"Where? Where is it?" Dumbledore asked fiercely.

"Hogwarts. It's at Hogwarts, Professor."

"Do you know where? Exactly where it's concealed?"

"It's where all hidden things go. It's in the room of requirement. The room of hidden things. Fred, George and I may have hidden a few things in there last year..." she trailed off.

Sirius chuckled – proud that his daughter was getting up to no good.

"Well done, Isabella! Harry? Are you ready?"

"What, now? Blimey.. err... yeah ok. Let me get my things."

He walked out of the room and came back in with a rucksack on his back.

Bella walked over to him, sadly;

"You wont be home this evening, will you?"

"No," he admitted, quietly, "No – I wont."

"But where are you going?" she sobbed.

He deliberated for a moment, before glancing at Dumbledore who shook his head.

Harry turned back to Bella and smiled, sadly. "I'm sorry Bella. I can't tell you that."

She stepped away from him and sat down with a thump. Blank shock showed on her face. After everything she had done for Harry – for _Dumbledore_... they still didn't trust her.

William hissed at the men.

"After all she has done for you, Harry? This is how you repay her?" William seethed. Harry recoiled, shocked by the Vampires outburst.

"But – but I'm not _allowed_ to tell anyone. Dumbledore told me not to..." he trailed off, pathetically.

"You complain, _constantly_, that we baby you. You wish us to treat you like a grown man, correct?"

Harry nodded his head, defensively.

"Then perhaps you should _act_ like one and treat your sister with some respect. You do not need the permission of Albus Dumbledore to do that."

"William." Dumbledore said, calmly.

"No, Albus. You send Isabella away from her family, she makes an unbreakable vow to keep Harry's location a secret, she protects Harry with her own life, trains him to duel and makes a safe house for him. She defeats and captures three Death Eaters and tells you the location of a Horcrux... and she's _still_ not allowed an answer to such a simple question. You are playing mind games, Dumbledore."

"That is not my intention. I just feel –"

"If you're going – then take the boy and leave. You have said quite enough." William said calmly, turning away from the men. Dumbledore sighed;

"Miss Granger? Mr Weasley? Are you ready to leave?"

They pushed away from the table and went over to Dumbledore. Molly Weasley fussed over her son. She was unbelievably worried that he was leaving.

Dumbledore turned to leave, but Harry's attention was on Bella, who was still staring at the table in shock at the way she was so easily dismissed. Harry watched as she stood and left the room... his mouth opening and closing, as though he were desperately trying to think of something to say.

He had just irreparably damaged his relationship with his sister – and he knew it. Sirius, William and Andromeda flashed from the room at Vampire speed – presumably to check on Bella. Fred shoved away from the table, banging his chair loudly into the wall behind him before storming from the room. George, made sure to shove past Harry with his shoulder as he followed his brother.

I decided to wait before following Bella. I thought she needed some time with her family and her best friends.

Dumbledore stepped over to Harry, who was still staring at the door that Bella had just left.

"Harry? We really need to be on our way."

Harry's posture slumped – his expression defeated as he nodded. The remaining members of the Order bid him a quiet farewell. With one last look at Bella's empty chair, he turned and followed Dumbledore, obediently.


	13. Collecting the Cullens

I followed Bella's scent up to the fourth floor and walked down a large corridor. There was only one double door on this floor. The doors swung open and I entered the largest room I had ever seen. It's walls were painted baby blue and the enormous bed swathed in blue velvet dominated the centre of the room. It was large enough to accommodate a sofa and two arm chairs. Each looking extremely expensive. Everything in the room seemed to move of its own accord. Nothing was still. Shelf after shelf of books lined one of the walls... all of them shuffling and reorganising themselves into order.

"This is my room... _our_ room. We can change anything you want. Redecorate or buy new furniture?"

I shook my head at my sweet girl. She was always concerned with _my _wants and _my_ needs.

"It's perfect, Bella. Truly – I'm looking forward to exploring it, though. It's enormous!"

"Undetectable extension charm. I have... quite a lot of stuff." She giggled.

"I can see that. I wish I knew what it all _does!_ There's so much to learn... all these things – I had no idea that they even existed."

"I'll teach you, sweetheart. I'll show you _everything." _She vowed. I nodded my head, excited to be a part of her life. So happy that she was sharing this with me.

My beautiful girl was curled up in an armchair by the fireplace... it was large – at least as tall as I was. I supposed that these fire places had been designed for comfort when travelling, not just for heat. Like so many things in this house, it was white marble – beautifully crafted, with intricate gold leaf designs etched into its smooth surface.

"Ignitus," she whispered. The fireplace roared to life – the flames flickered and crackled, alluringly. I pulled her up into my arms before sitting in the armchair, with my little witch curled up in my lap.

"So," She started, taking my hand, "are you sorry that you didn't return to Forks?"

"Why on Earth would you think that, sweetheart?"

She shifted from foot to foot, reluctant to answer. Eventually she raised her head and looked at me.

"Edward – I've changed your entire _life._ It must have been so _simple_ before – so very easy. The moment your family became entwined with the Order, you have had to sacrifice so much... I wonder if you wish you had never mated with me at all... that you could just go back to how things were before Harry came to live with you..." she whispered.

I blanched at her – stung by her lack of faith in my commitment to her -my _love_ for her. I grabbed her face firmly between my hands and waited patiently until she looked at me.

"Bella... baby. How can you even _think_ that. Do you want to know what my life was like before you? I spent a hundred years - _alone_. A hundred _years_! I repeated high school _over_ and _over..._ and then I would do it all over again...I listened to my family _love_ their mates night after agonizing night. I was surrounded by people – humans – that I _desperately_ envied. I listened to their hateful, selfish thoughts day after day... wishing – _begging_ to be one of them. Praying night after night for a chance of a future... _pleading_ for someone to love me... to keep me for eternity..."

"I was so _angry, _Bella. Angry at my Mother for begging Carlisle to change me – and angry at Carlisle for complying. I have begged for death so many, many times...But then... but then you walked into the room, Isabella. You walked into the room and I found brilliance in every new thing that you showed me. I saw the vibrancy of your world... of _our_ world. You were right, sweet girl. You were right when you told me that I wasn't a part of the muggle world. The very moment I stepped into the dining room at Black Manor, I knew where I was supposed to be. Where I should always have been. If I had known that you were out there – _dreaming_ of me... I would have chased the wind to find you. I would have given anything to see you grow up... to be a part of your childhood."

"Things are so different, now, Bella. I don't wish for _death,_ any more... or love... or humanity. I pray for patience. I pray that I am patient enough to change – to accept what I am - and that _you, _will have enough patience to help me. I hope for a future, with you. I _pray -_ that one day you will become my wife. I will _beg_ - that you will be the Mother of my children. _Our_ children. Bella... Do you understand what that means to me? That _one_... _single_... _thing_? I will _never_ wish that you were not in my life. If you ever tried to leave me... I would not permit it. I cannot. You are everything to me, Isabella."

She was crying silent tears. Pain was deeply etched into everyone of her features.

"We _will_ have that future, Edward. We can have any future that you want... I promise."

I held her, silently. To emotional after my admissions to speak, yet. After several minutes, she pulled back, wiped her teary eyes and smiled.

"Oh! I've still got all of your things in my bag! I sent your family's furniture back to Forks, but yours are still in the extendable pouch!"

She ran to her bedside table and opened the drawer. After pulling out the familiar velvet purse, she came back to the armchair and curled onto my lap.

"Accio." She flicked her wand, lazily and the bag emptied onto the floor in front of us. Everything I had collected in my 110 years on this earth, landed in a small, insignificant pile on the floor. Bella had accumulated fifty times as much as me – and she was only eighteen.

"Is this everything, Edward? Where are the rest of your things?" She said in confusion.

I held her closer to me, enjoying her warmth as I explained.

"When I lived with Carlisle, we weren't allowed to collect too many things."

"What do you mean you weren't _allowed_?" She said stiffly.

"Well, Carlisle worried. If our home were ever burgled, it would look odd for us to have things dating back over a hundred years – so he only let us keep the important things... what we could fit in the safe."

I was uncomfortable talking about this, but Bella kept on pushing...

"That's barbaric! He can't dictate what you are and aren't allowed to keep! It's your _life! _He himself has a library _full_ over books that date back to the dawn of written word!"

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Carlisle had been my maker and a father, of sorts, for a century. He was all I knew.

"Well, I did keep some other things, belonging to my parents. I've had them in storage since 1918... but I haven't been able to use them. Carlisle was adamant that we stay low key..." I trailed off when I caught the disgusted expression on her face.

"Edward..." she didn't finish her sentence. She seemed to choke on my name.

"What's wrong sweet girl?"

"Edward? What do you have in storage? You said you saved some of your parents things?" she pressed.

I flicked back through my memories – it had been a long time since I had thought about my parents belongings...

"I remember packing my Mother's writing desk away. It was beautiful, Bella. I remember her writing to my Aunts and Uncles each weekend. She would sit at that table and write for _hours_. She used to ask me to play the piano for her, as she wrote..." I trailed off... not wanting to finish my story. That part of my life was over now. So what was the point in looking back at it? It was gone. _They_ were gone.

"Don't you want to use it, again, Edward? Your Mothers writing desk? It might be too feminine for you, but maybe you could pass it on to our daughter... if we're lucky enough to have one." She was blushing, beautifully.

I was struck with a vision of a young girl – the image of Bella, sitting at the familiar desk, colouring. An unknown emotion pierced my heart...

"You wouldn't mind? I don't want to take over your room..." I said, nervously.

"Edward, this is _our_ room. We can put anything we want in here. Space is not a problem – if we need a bigger room, I'll use the undetectable extension charm again." She soothed.

"All of my parents things are terribly old fashioned, Bella."

"So am I... look around you, Edward. All of my furniture is antique. Sweetheart, the entire wizarding world is still in the dark age – literally. We don't even have electricity!" She giggled.

"If you're sure..." I trailed off. I felt unbelievably unsure of myself. I was not used to having choices. I was _trying_ to adjust... but a hundred years of the same thing would brain wash anyone.

"So sure." She whispered. She leant in closer and kissed me, slowly. I tried to stifle my moan when she slipped her little tongue into my mouth. I was very aware of the fact that her family all had supernatural hearing. She moved to straddle my lap and my hand raised her skirt, entirely of their own volition. I held in a hiss when I realised that she had nothing on underneath her skirt. The only thing separating me from her was the one tiny, zip on my jeans. I was so close to taking what I wanted – but I knew that her father could hear every rustle of clothing – every barely contained gasp. She started undoing the buttons on my shirt...

"Bella... fuck... Bella, baby. We have to... we have to stop."

"Why?" She breathed.

"Your Father will hear us." I whispered too low for anyone else to hear. She bit my ear –_hard_ – and I moaned, involuntarily.

"I cast the Muffliato Charm on the door. They can't hear a thing."

_Oh thank fuck! _ Less than a second later, I was sheathed inside her... I fucking _love_ magic.

* * *

Several hours later, Bella was fast asleep. I checked my phone and it still had no signal. Bella had told me that magic interferes with muggle technology. Not being able to contact my family worried me immensely. I needed to get far enough from the house – Esme would be anxious if I didn't make contact in the next few days. I decided to leave Bella sleeping and reluctantly left the room. I heard Sirius in his office and tapped on his door.

"Come on in, Edward. Bella sleeping?" He asked. His first thought was always for his daughter. He truly was an excellent Father.

"You mean you can't hear her snoring?" I teased.

"Don't let her hear you say that! She would be mortified! How are you settling in?" he asked, kindly.

"Honestly? I'm a little embarrassed to admit that after one day here, it feels like home. Like I was always meant to be here." I mumbled.

"As it should, Edward. This _is_ your home. There are no restrictions, here. Come and go as you please, my boy."

"Actually – that was initially why I came to find you. I was wondering if you would be kind enough to arrange a port key to Forks for me? I need to let my family know that I am ok..."

"Of course. Before you go, I was wondering if I could run a few things by you?"

I wracked my brains, trying to work out if I could have done anything wrong.

_You fucked his daughter in his house, last night. Several times._

I smiled at the memory before shaking my head. Now was _not_ the time to get a boner. I couldn't think of anything that I had done – but I was unbelievably worried that he was about to tell me that I couldn't stay here... that he would send me back to the muggle world... my heart clenched at the thought.

"The Weasley boys sent an owl – they are coming over to the house tonight."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion – not understanding how this affected me.

"The grounds to the house are quite substantial. They boys often come over here to play Quidditch on our pitch. Anyway, they wanted me to let you know that Fred and George had managed to bewitch a broom for you. They are certain that you'll be able to fly it. Bill, Charlie and Percy are coming too – they think you are long overdue an introduction to Quidditch."

"They want me to _play_ with them?" I trailed of in disbelief. They were asking a _Vampire_ to play Quidditch with them?

"Of course – if you would like? You are under no obligation, though. I think the boys just wanted to get to know you a bit better."

I nodded my head, dumbly. They wanted to form a friendship with me? I had never known such easy acceptance. Carlisle had always to us to stay away from humans as much as we could. I wasn't entirely sure that I even knew how to act around humans...

"Excellent. I shall send a return owl. They'll be overjoyed." He beamed.

"Secondly – the Order received some extremely disturbing news last night. Normally, when a witch or wizard – in fact, _any_ supernatural creature enters our world, they are issued an identification card, like this one. It is more commonly known as a key..."

He passed me a laminated card – no bigger than my credit card. The photo of Sirius moved freely, of course... something I was used to now. It contained details of his breed and date of birth. His blood status and parentage – his profession.

"The key is used everywhere. Officials may ask you to present one at any time. We use them in shops and to obtain employment. All supernatural creatures must carry one – only those who are Ministry approved are allowed a key. To have one, shows that a court of your peers has deemed you trust worthy. Family are not allowed to vouch for you. "

I blanched at him. How was I supposed to get a key? I knew a few of the Oder... _barely. _If Bella's family couldn't vouch for me, who would I ask?

"It would seem that the Ministry are locking their doors – so to speak. A new piece of legislation was passed last night. Under the new rules, we are not allowed to admit _any_ new members into the supernatural world. We're sure that this order has come straight from Tom Riddle. He worries that Dumbledore is raising an Army."

I nodded "What happens if you are found without identification?" I asked, scared of his answer.

"You will be arrested and taken the the Wizengamot. The are the Wizarding high court. The are investigating 'stolen' magic. The whole thing is preposterous but we have to go along with it, I'm afraid."

"So, you telling me that I need to leave?" I surmised.

"Gracious, no! As soon as we heard, I spoke to Bella. I hope that you don't mind, but she gave me your date of birth and other essential credentials. I had a key card made for you just in time. it impossible to do it now. The entire department was shut down - yours was the last card they made."

He slid the card towards me. My face looked back at me. I recognised the picture. It was a copy of one that Bella had taken a few weeks ago in our meadow. The card listed my breed as Vampire. Details of my biological parents, my date of birth and home town. Sirius had listed me as a member of the 'Black Coven'.

I glanced at him, confusion etched into every line of my face.

"Forgive my presumptions, Edward. I realise that you may have wished to be listed as a member of the Cullen coven – I thought it prudent, given how thorough the Ministry are being with their investigations, not to draw attention to your sire."

"Forgive me, but I thought that I needed non-family members to vouch for me?" I questioned.

"They _did_, Edward. I walked into the department of keys, with the entire Oder of the Phoenix. They all gave their statements and your card was made there and then."

My mouth dropped open in shock. They hardly _knew_ me – yet they were willing to vouch for me. They had secured me a place in the magical world. I was one of them... approved by the Ministry of Magic as a certified member of their world.

"_Thank you_, Sirius. This means more to me than I will ever be able to explain." I whispered.

"Not at all, Edward. I promised Bella that I would look after you and look after you I shall. I took the liberty of having key cards made for your family, too. My Father has them, should they wish to join us."

I shifted in my chair and met the eyes of my future father-in-law.

"My family are keen to be reunited with Bella as soon as possible – I think that they are hesitant, though. They do not wish to impose any more than I do."

"It's no imposition, Son. They are all very welcome. We have plenty of space and it would be a shame for you to be separated from your loved ones, unnecessarily."

His easy acceptance of me was slowly chipping away at my self-imposed walls. He was inadvertently reversing a hundred years of solitude and loneliness.

"What's it like?" I asked, unable to hide my curiosity anymore. "The Ministry? Bella told me about it... but it's hard to imagine..."

"Well... would you like to see for yourself? I work as Head Auror and my Father works in the department of mysteries... don't ask me what he does, I have no idea," he laughed. "But if you're interested in the Ministry, we could take you there tomorrow and introduce you to a few people. Though I must warn you – they will definitely try to recruit you."

"Who would?"

"Everyone, I'm afraid. We have vacancies in every department – literally. People are scared to work for the Ministry, nowadays. I have no idea why. We've been infiltrated, yes – but Tom Riddle isn't going to jump out from behind a waste paper basket. There really was no need for people to hand in their resignations – but, alas, fear does strange things to people."

"But they would hire an unknown Vampire?" I said in confusion.

"My dear boy – I am and Vampire, as is my Father... we've been at the Ministry for decades... and you are not unknown, Edward. You have a Ministry approved key card. That is all that is needed to gain employment. I imagine that they will fawn all over you when you get there. Vampire speed would certainly be useful to have around the office."

"So – I would be able to apply for work there? I do not need qualifications?"

"As you didn't attend Hogwarts, you obviously wouldn't be able to do any wand work, but there are hundreds of jobs available to our kind that require no qualifications at all. You would be given any training you needed, once you were hired."

Excitement wracked my frame – a _job._ Not high school or college. I would be able to get a job! It wouldn't matter that I looked too young or that I didn't age. Everyone would know that I was a Vampire...

"Please." I practically begged. "Please can we go? I would very much like to see the Ministry." I realised that I must look ridiculous – a grown man bouncing up and down in true Alice style... but I couldn't find it in me to care. I _wanted_ this. _Badly. _Sirius chuckled at my exuberance;

"Of course, of course. We shall go as soon as you are back from Forks. We shall also need to take a trip to Diagon Alley. You will need to set up a Vault for your gold."

"Thank you." It was the understatement of the century – but truthfully, it was all I could manage.

"Portus."

He handed me the book and a small pouch.

"It's a two-way mirror," he answered my confused expression, "when you want to come home, just look into the mirror and say my name. I will have a matching mirror – you'll be able to talk to me. It's faster than sending an owl. Just let me know when you're ready to come home and one of the Order will collect you, son."

"Thank you, Sirius. Would you be kind enough to let Bella know where I've gone? I don't want her to worry.."

The book began to glow and I was seconds away from Forks. "I will. Enjoy yourself, Edward. I'll see you when you get home."

I didn't have a chance to answer him – I was whipped from his office and taken back to America.


	14. My name is Sirius

I opened my eyes and found myself standing in front of the Forks Mansion. It had only been two days since I was last here, but it felt like a lifetime ago...

The family must have heard the 'pop' as I arrived – as they all came out of the house to greet me. Alice slammed into me and began talking at a hundred miles an hour;

"You're ok! I've been trying to call you! You disappeared from my visions – I was so worried…"

"Alice!" I laughed, "Calm down. I'm fine."

I greeted the rest of the family and followed them into the house. I knew this home perfectly… but it seemed different. I couldn't work out what had changed. After a few quiet moments, it clicked.

"Everything is so _still." _I said in disbelief.

I had become accustomed to living with magic in the time that Bella had been in my life. All of her things seemed to _live. _ They moved entirely on their own – _constantly._ I loved it. The house seemed so empty, now.

"Once Bella left, all of the enchantments on the house ended… and then you disappeared from Alice's visions. We thought you had both _died. _We were so worried, Son." Esme sobbed.

I pulled my Mother, of sorts, into a hug in an attempt to soothe her.

"We're both fine, Mom. I'm sorry I didn't call – there is so much magic at Bella's that it interferes with muggle devices. My phone doesn't work at home, at all." I explained.

"Home?" Carlisle questioned.

I could tell that he was surprised by my use of the term. I had only been living with Bella for two days. I tired to explain as best I could.

"Home," I confirmed. "It's incredible, Carlisle." I gushed.

"Why don't you tell us about it?" He asked, eager for more information.

I tried to gather my thoughts – to find a way of explaining, accurately, just how much my life had been irrevocably changed…

"Everything Bella said was true," I breathed, "Everything."

The family sat down on the sofas as I began my story.

"The last two days have been the most incredible, unconquerable, unassailable moments of my life." I vowed. "From the very moment I arrived in London – my world was flipped upside down. I don't think I'll ever come back to the muggle world, now. There's just so _much_…" I trailed off.

"Like what?" Emmett said, genuinely interested.

"Well – Bella's house was the first shock. It's not a house. It a Mansion of ridiculous proportions." I chuckled.

"How big is it, Edward?" Rosalie asked.

"According to Sirius, there are seventeen bedrooms. The grounds are phenomenal, too. Large enough to hunt in, even. There is a _massive_ lake, too."

"Bella kept that quiet." Jasper mused.

"You know how modest she is," I defended, "She would never boast about wealth."

They all nodded their agreement. No - Bella was not interested in money or possessions. She valued people and morals – important things.

"So?" Emmett pressed excitedly, "What have you been up to since we left?"

"Well, I met the Order of the Phoenix, officially. They were all at Bella's when we first arrived. They're an interesting bunch. I've never seen so many different breed of Supernatural beings in one room…. All of them enjoying dinner together. They're a lovely bunch, though. They welcomed me from the moment I stepped into the room."

"You speak about them as though they're your _friends, _Edward." Alice joked.

I didn't join in with the family as they laughed at the prospect of such a strange thing. The Cullen Coven weren't allowed friends. No… that would be far too conspicuous. I shuddered at the absurdity of the façade my family maintained. I couldn't do it again – ever.

"They are my friends, Alice. At least, they _want _to be…"

"What do you mean, Edward?" Esme asked.

"Bella told you about her friends – the twins? Fred and George Weasley?"

They all nodded – they had heard many stories about the twins.

"They're coming over to the house tonight to play Quidditch on the grounds of the Manor. They're bringing their brothers, Charlie, Bill and Percy. They're going to teach me how to play. They've bewitched a broom for me – I'm going to get to _fly_!"

"Seriously? Dude that's _awesome_!" Emmett shouted.

"I know – I couldn't believe it when Sirius told me. They accepted me so easily, Em. They could have played Quidditch at the their own home…. But they're coming to Bella's so that I can play, too. I can hardly believe it, myself."

"What else?"

I explained what Sirius and William had told me about Bella's dreams. They were shocked that she had known about me for over a decade – that she recognised me as her mate and waited, faithfully for me.

I then told them about my planned trip to the Ministry to find a job.

"Isn't it dangerous?" Esme fretted. "Bella said that they had been infiltrated. There might be death Eaters, there..."

"It _has_ been infiltrated. Many people have been placed under the Imperius Curse. Tom Riddle wants spies within the Ministry... but they're still good people – _kind_ people. They still have to abide the law."

"So the Ministry will just _employ_ you? Just like that?" Carlisle asked, with a note of surprise.

"Not precisely. All supernatural beings are issued with an identification card. The Ministry of Magic issue them to those who meet their criteria. Once you have one, you're able to gain employment, though, yes. It's difficult to explain– they don't just _give_ them out. If you are not 'born' into magic, the application process is a little harder. The Ministry insists that they receive supporting statements from ten people who are Ministry affiliated. Once they do that, your card is issued there and then."

I pulled my key card from my wallet and slid it across the table towards him.

"Sirius and ten members of the Order of the Phoenix travelled late last night to the Ministry. They vouched for my loyalty and my card was issued. I am eligible for employment. I can _vote_. I may open a Vault at Gringotts. The Ministry call this card the 'key', because it literally opens every single door to the magical world."

"You are a part of the '_Black_ Coven', now?" Carlisle asked, sadly.

"I am a part of _both._ This was not a slur on you, Carlisle. We are in the middle of a war and I am associated with the Order of the Phoenix. We were trying to _protect_ you. Please do not think that I do not remember where I came from. As a human, I was _not_ reclusive, Carlisle. I had a family and friends. I had plans for a career in the war... those dreams never left me. I still want those things. Damn it I _have_ those things. In Bella, I have found my best friend, my wife, my _mate._ She will be the Mother to my _children_, Carlisle. I can still have a career. Sirius himself, told me so. I wont have to repeat high school over and over again. I have wizards in London wanting to form a friendship with me... a friendship where I don't have to conceal anything – I can be _Edward... _not a Vampire."

"You will always be a Vampire, Edward."

"Not to them. Don't you understand, Carlisle. Didn't you listen to Bella? They don't care what I am... they're more interested in _who _I am. Just imagine that every mythical creature you've ever heard of, is _real. _Vampires, werewolves, witches and Wizards. Shape-shifters and mermaids. Elves and Giants. Centaurs and Unicorns... Carlisle they all coexist happily. Some may not see eye to eye, but it will be because their personalities clash. It has nothing to do with their breed."

I slumped down onto the sofa and put my head in my hands.

"Edward," he started, "I'm sorry. I am just feeling a little jealous, that's all."

"What on earth for?" I question, bewildered.

"You're so different, Edward. Can you not see it? I've never seen you so... _happy... _Isabella's Father – in just two days, has given you everything that I was never able to provide you with._"_

"Is that a bad thing? For me to have found happiness?"

"No, son. Of course it's not..."

"You have the same chances that I do, Carlisle. You just need to come home with me, today."

"But I thought we needed these key cards?" Emmett questioned. "You said they're not making them anymore."

"They're not." I answered. "Bella gave all of your credentials –date of birth etc, to her Father. He had cards made for you, too."

"Oh that sweet girl." Esme smiled.

"So we can come with you today? We've all withdrawn from school and Carlisle has left the hospital." Jasper said.

"Of course."

"We just need to find somewhere to live..." Carlisle trailed off, deep in thought.

"You really don't need to do that, dad. Sirius is expecting you all. He's happy to have you."

"We couldn't intrude like that, Edward." Esme said, sadly.

"Okay – well how about we decide what to do when we get there?" Emmett said – always the voice of reason.

The family nodded their agreement. I withdrew the small mirror from my pocket and spoke directly into it. The family watched on in confusion;

"Sirius?"

"Edward. Are you ready to come home?"

"Yes. Everything is sorted here."

"Lovely. I'm on my way."

I pocketed the mirror and turned back to the family who were all waiting for an explanation.

"Two way mirrors – they're effectively what wizards use as a cell phone – sort of like Skype... I'm glad he's on his way - It's painful... being away from Bella." I subconsciously rubbed over my dormant heart.

"Edward, Son," Carlisle said with concern, "does being separated from Bella actually cause you physical pain?"

"Yes, Sir. It's strange to feel pain after so many years of being impervious to everything." I admitted.

They each exchanged looks with their partners before Carlisle stepped closer to me and ran his hand over my heart while he spoke.

"Son this isn't normal. Of course none of us _enjoy_ being away from out mates, but it doesn't hurt – at least not in a physical sense. Can you describe the symptoms to me?"

"Well, my chest feels as though is tearing – like a piece of me is missing. I feel shaky and weaker than usual. I noticed earlier that I actually feel _tired_. I didn't think anything of it. The feelings all disappear as soon as I am near Bella, again."

"Do the symptoms progress the longer you are apart from her?"

"There is a noticeable increase in pain, the longer I sit here."

"We need to investigate this, Edward. Perhaps the Volturi –"

"There's no need, Carlisle. I've spoken to Sirius about this at great lengths. It's normal. This is a side effect of being mated to a Veela. Carlisle – please do not worry about me. I am happy. Truly happy for the first time since my change."

"So you were unhappy when you were with us?" He asked – his face filled with remorse.

"I cannot lie to you, Carlisle. Yes – I was so very unhappy... but it was not because of you. This family was the only thing that made it bearable, Carlisle. For a century you _insisted_ that I stay alive, but not allowing me to _live. _You turned me into a Vampire and then forced me not to feed from humans. You wouldn't allow me any friends, but ignored the fact that I was _desperately_ lonely. You refuse us when we ask to bring mementos from our past – yet you sit in your Library that houses books dating back 2000 years. You force us to endure high school time and time again – then you force us to listen to endless stories about your thriving, fulfilling career. I struggle with your facade immensely. But it isn't something that you did – it was the fact that I don't want to live like that. "

He didn't say anything else, but I knew that he understood. He knew that I would never have been happy with him, because I needed to be with Bella. I just didn't know it, yet. A resounding 'pop' sounded outside the house;

"The door is open, Sirius." I muttered as I stood – still clutching my chest. Sirius strode inside in his finery, looking more like royalty than the Volturi. He saw my posture and came straight over to me, supporting my weight.

"Edward, you should have used the mirror earlier – I could have sent Bella to you. There was no need for you to suffer through the mating separation unnecessarily." He chastised in a Fatherly way.

He helped me to stand, by wrapping a secure arm around my shoulders before turning us to face my family;

"Sirius – I would like to introduce you to my coven."

I stepped forward, still clinging to Sirius and gestured to Carlisle;

"This is my Father and Sire, Carlisle Cullen and his mate, Esme. Next to them are Jasper Whitlock and his mate, Alice. Finally we have Emmett McCarty and his mate, Rosalie. Everyone, this is Sirius Black – Bella's Father."

If they had been expecting a formal introduction, they were sorely mistaken. Sirius moved forward and embraced the men in a firm handshake and then spoke to them alone.

"Gentlemen, as I'm sure Edward will confirm, I am mated to Isabella's Mother and bear no threat to you. May I approach your mates to introduce myself?"

I could tell that my brothers and father were pleasantly surprised. Such a request was old fashioned, but _always_ appreciated by a Vampire. Male Vampires were notoriously possessive of their mates. No sensible man would try to separate a Vampire from his mate. It would always end in a gruelling fight to the death. Sirius had just earned himself a lot of respect from the men in my family, for observing such an old formality in our world. Carlisle stepped forward, leading Esme by the arm. Sirius took her hand and kissed it, gently. His lips didn't linger and we could all tell that he was being the very epitome of a gentleman. He followed the same pattern with Rosalie and Alice before retreating back to my side and supporting my weight again. Yes – Sirius Black was old fashioned, indeed.

"You'll have to forgive me for not introducing myself, yesterday. I'll admit – I was a little preoccupied with my Bella." He chuckled.

Instinctively, I growled at him – uncomfortable with the idea of him referring to Bella as 'his'. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew he was being ridiculous. He was her Father and bore no threat to our mating connection... but I couldn't help it. It was instinctual. Carlisle opened his mouth, to chastise me. But Sirius, simply pulled me closer to his side and nodded his head.

"It's ok, Edward. We're going to take you back to your Bella, now. We'll be home soon, Son."

I nodded, unable to speak through the pain that was rapidly worsening with every passing minute. I needed Bella. Now. Sirius took one more look at me, before turning back to my family.

"Perhaps they ought to be reunited - sooner rather than later."

He pulled his wand from his pocket and cast a Patronus. It turned to face him and he spoke directly to it.

"Bella, love - Edward needs you."

The Patronus ran from the room and went to deliver it's message to Bella. Carlisle spoke to Sirius while we waited.

"Is this normal behaviour for someone mated to a Veela. I'll admit, I am extremely concerned."

"Unfortunately, it is all part of the mating process I'm afraid. Eventually he will be able to manage a few hours apart from her, but essentially – they will always suffer these symptoms. I myself, still feel them and I've been mated to Andromeda for ninety years."

"It's just so hard to see him like this," Esme said, sadly.

"Try not to worry, my dear," Sirius consoled, "think of it this way – your Son has found a love so special, that it hurts."

She smiled at him. Her thoughts betrayed her fondness of the man, already. Esme noted just how much Bella and her father were alike – in looks and in personality. Sirius was obviously making a very good impression on the family.

"Edward tells me that you are unsure if you will be able to join us in London?" Sirius enquired.

"Actually, we only returned to Forks to tie up a few loose ends. We didn't want to raise suspicion by leaving without a trace... excuses had to be made. We are more than happy to be reunited with Bella. We are concerned, however. It has only been fifteen years since we were last in London. We do not wish to be recognised." Carlisle offered.

Sirius contemplated the difficulties that Carlisle voiced and shrugged them off, gently.

"Well our estate is quite far from civilization. I believe the nearest muggle home is over fifty miles away. We seldom socialize with muggles in our line of work, so the chances of you being recognized are slim – unless you _want_ to venture into the muggle world, that is." He chuckled.

"Sirius, we wouldn't want to impose on your family. There are so many of us –" Esme worried, needlessly.

"My dear Esme, it would not be an intrusion. Think of it as a chance for our families to get to know one another. After all, I think that it will not be long before we share the same grandchildren. Would that be a fair assumption, Edward?" He chuckled.

"I'm saying nothing. This is a dangerous line of questioning that could only get me into trouble." I laughed.

Esme gasped – her hand flying to her mouth. My family had all noted the easy acceptance Sirius had bestowed upon me. It must have been strange to witness, though. I didn't know how to explain it to them. The moment Sirius had showed me those memories, something inside just clicked – I knew, instinctively, that Bella's family _loved_ me already. They truly thought of me as one of their own.

Sirius was still chuckling at my obvious discomposure. He knew that I was fucking his daughter – we were mated after all – but he enjoyed making me squirm over that little scrap of information, none the less.

"Truly, Esme. You are all most welcome at our home. In fact, I insist. I would not want Edward to endure an unnecessary separation from his family. We have more than enough room to accommodate you all."

I heard a 'pop' from outside and knew that my Bella had received her Fathers patronus message. The ache, that had been slowly eating me alive had lessened, slightly. It would not dissipate until I had my girl safely ensconced in my arms. She ran into the room and jumped into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist as I held her to me, furiously.

"Why didn't you call me, Edward?" She mumbled into my neck.

"I'm sorry, little witch. I didn't know it would be so bad... it was awful."

She nodded and slid down my body.

"Rosie! Alice!" My girl ran over to her sisters and they pulled her into a cuddle before talking to each other at a hundred miles an hour. Truly I couldn't pick out a word that they were saying – it was obvious how much they had missed each other, though. I looked on fondly at my two families. This was more than I could ever have hoped for. Now I just had to pray that the rest of the Cullen's got on with Bella's family... and the Order.

"Shall we be off, then?" Sirius enquired.

"Hell yeah!" Emmett hollered.

I could tell that Carlisle was worried about how Sirius would react to Emmett's cursing – but he just laughed.

"That's the spirit, Emmett."

He took a book from his pocket and held it out to Isabella;

"Bella, love. I would like you to have the practice, please."

She nodded and pulled her wand from her pocket;

"Portus." She murmured. I knew it had worked, immediately. The familiar blue hue emitted from the book.

"Good girl. Now if everyone is ready, please touch a finger to the book. It will be leaving, momentarily."

I felt the familiar tug behind my neck as I was forcefully removed from the ground.


	15. Order meeting

I held Bella's hand as we spun; "Let go, baby." She instructed, sweetly. I pulled her into my arms and let go of the port key. We fell at least a hundred foot and I absorbed the impact of the fall, needlessly protecting my mate. The rest of the family landed with thuds in an arch around us.

"Where are we?" Emmett asked. I laughed, anticipating their reactions.

"Look behind you," I instructed with a chuckle.

I heard all of them gasp, quietly and knew that they had just seen Bella's Manor. I had told them that it was big – perhaps I should have described it as a palace. It would have been a better description.

"Shall we head inside?" Sirius asked, smiling slightly.

My family could do nothing more than offer vague nods in reply. We had been used to luxurious houses during our existence, but Black Manor was something out of a fairytale. No description could accurately capture it's beauty.

"Yeesh – for Vampires, you're really slow!" Bella teased. "Giddy up, Edward!"

I loved her playfulness. It hadn't even occurred to Bella that we might be in awe of her home. To her, it was where her family lived – but if her family lived in a box, then that would be home, too. She was a girl who had been given _everything, _ yet she valued nothing with any monetary value. All she wanted were the people she loved. Anything else was a bonus. We walked up the lane at a human pace. Esme pointed out the peacocks, excitedly, while Jasper and Emmett crowed about the extensive grounds. Acre after acre of natural countryside...

Two brooms flew overhead and swooped down next to me and Bella.

"Wotcher, Edward. Wotcher, Bella." George bellowed.

"We still on for Quidditch?" Fred hollered.

"Sure. Just let me get the family settled and I'll meet you on the pitch?" I answered.

"Oh sorry. I'm Fred, this is George." George nodded and Fred continued.

The family all offered their 'Hello' somewhat nervously... much to the twins amusement.

"Don't be shy... we don't bite!" They crowed before flying off. "See you in a bit, Edward!" They hollered in unison.

I burst out laughing at their teasing. Having been subjected to it all day, yesterday – I was used to their tactless humour by now. I listened in to the thoughts of the family to see how they were finding everything. They were all flitting between delayed shock at the beautiful house, to amusement at Fred and George. We reached the massive doors to the Manor and Sirius opened it with a lazy flick of his wand.

"Dining room?" I questioned. It was hard to pinpoint the location of the wizards when all of them had their minds closed.

"Yes, Son – they're all gathered... another Order meeting tonight, I'm afraid."

The family trailed behind us in silence, each of the taking in the extensive home in awe. We reached the dining room and Sirius pushed both doors open widely. William came over to me a kissed Bella's head as she jumped down and raced over to her Mother;

"Welcome home, Edward." He greeted with a hug. I had noticed yesterday just how affectionate this family was. It was something that I was not accustomed to – but realised, quickly, that I _liked_ knowing that people were waiting for me to come home. I was _wanted_, here.

I introduced my family to William, who adopted the same approach as his son – he asked permission to greet the females in our coven. Much the same as yesterday, my family were led around the table and introduced to the Order, who welcomed them wholly. I noticed that though they had been kindly welcomed by everyone, my family were still quite reserved. They took their seats in silence and just watched everyone else interact.

It was only moments later, however, that Dumbledore called the meeting to Order.

"Welcome, everyone. I would like to thank you all once again for joining me. I am happy to report that Harry and his friends are safe and are currently undergoing vital work to the war effort."

"But I don't suppose you will tell us what that work entails?" Remus asked.

"At this time," Dumbledore began, "I would like to refrain from divulging their whereabouts."

"No surprises there, then." Sirius grumbled.

Dumbledore acted as if he hadn't been interrupted and continued with his speech.

"I do, however, come to you with some happier news. The board of Governors have just informed me that Hogwarts will once again be opening it's doors next month, ready for the start of a new year."

Bella, who had been observing the headmaster silently, leant forward at this piece of news. Dumbledore caught the action and smiled at her. She didn't reciprocate.

"Albus you cannot be serious!" Bill exclaimed. "Who would be willing to send their children back to a school that cannot guarantee the safety of it's students?"

"Well that is where you are wrong, Mr. Weasley. The safety of my students is of utmost importance to me. Myself and the staff have worked tirelessly throughout the summer to ready the school for the start of term next month. In fact, professor McGonagall is already sending out acceptance letters."

He reached into his robes and pulled out three identical letters. He handed one to Fred, one to George and one to Bella.

Fred and George immediately put their letters back on the table in polite declination.

"We wont be returning for our final year, Professor." Fred stated.

"To be honest, after the small incident with the fireworks last year, I'm surprised you're even talking to us." George replied.

Dumbledore stood to his fullest height before addressing the three students.

"Do not think me naive enough to believe that you were merely misbehaving last year, gentlemen. I know very well why you caused so much trouble last year."

They eyed each other in confusion before turning back to Dumbledore and speaking in unison;

"Bella told us to do it." They crowed, unashamed.

Dumbledore looked momentarily taken aback. He had clearly not been expecting that answer.

"Bella?" Sirius questioned. "What are they talking about?"

She sighed and leant her head onto my shoulder.

"Well someone had to get rid of the old hag. Besides, how else were the Order supposed to sneak in and out of the castle undetected if Umbridge was constantly monitoring the fireplaces. You needed a distraction – I arranged one. Fred and George." She muttered.

"Isabella – we did not inform you of the reformation of the order until you turned seventeen. This was before then." William probed.

"Grandpa? In the past year, our front door has seen more wizards pass through it than platform nine and three quarters. You did not honestly expect me to believe that Severus Snape decided to pop over for dinner a few nights a week... no offence Professor." She gestured towards the greasy haired man.

He smirked at her, clearly impressed by her deductions.

"Miss Black," Severus began, "will you tell me why you decided not to say anything when you found out that the Order had reformed?"

"If I had told my Father that I knew, he would have doubled his efforts to hide everything from me. If this whole fiasco has taught me one thing, it's that I will learn far more by listening than by talking."

"At least she's honest." William guffawed.

"Of course, Grandpa. After all – I must not tell lies."

There was a chorus of hisses around the table. We had all heard of Professor Umbridge and her medieval torture methods. Bella, Fred and George had all experienced them first hand – pardon the pun.

"But why reopen the school? It's madness! I cannot believe that the parents will allow their children to attend." Dora whispered.

"I certainly wont be!" Molly screeched.

"You have nothing to gain from this, Albus." Arthur muttered.

"Surely we should be concentrating on finding Tom Riddle! Not Protecting the school..." Andromeda pressed.

Bella huffed a small laugh out turned to her Mother.

"That's _exactly_ what he's doing." She muttered.

"What do you mean, sweetheart?" William asked.

She rested her elbows on the table and leant her face into her hands, lazily.

"The fact of the matter is, that the Order of the Phoenix and the Death Eaters are at a stale mate. We know that the Death Eaters are currently sat around the dining table at Malfoy manner... and they know that the Order of the Phoenix are currently sat around the dining table at Black manor."

Several people laughed at her tenacity, but she ignored them and continued;

"We're not bursting through their door because we know that there's no point until we've destroyed the Horcruxes. They're not bursting through our door because they know they'll be arrested if they act before Riddle rises to power. Like I said, it's a stale mate. Dumbledore is buying some time. It's as simple as that. Reopening the school will confuse Riddle. It's the last thing that Dumbledore should do. Riddle is going to think that Dumbledore knows something he doesn't. He will have to re-evaluate every plan he's made. That's buys us time to destroy the remaining Horcruxes."

"It also orchestrates the final location of the battle. Riddle will go straight to Dumbledore, who will be conveniently located at Hogwarts. He knows that the Order will be there, way, the fight is on our terms, on our turf – and will only happen once we've ensured that we'll win. Dumbledore has just told us that he and the staff have worked tirelessly to secure the school. We'll go from stale mate to check mate before they can say pure-blood."

There was a beat of silence – the entire Order of the Phoenix stared at my Bella in disbelief – eventually they turned their eyes to Dumbledore, who was staring at Bella intently. Eventually, he spoke.

"Isabella?"

She lifted her head from her hands and met the old headmasters eyes.

"We are going to need health potions – an immense amount of health potions. Professor Snape has business with the Order that will prevent him from being able to brew them, himself. It is essential that we are able to heal the wounded when the battle begins."

"I can help with that." She agreed.

"We could use the added protection of a Veela at Hogwarts at the start of term, too."

She eyed Dumbledore curiously, no doubt trying to ascertain what he wanted.

"You wish for me to pose as a student? Create the potions at Hogwarts and be on protection detail in my spare time?"

"A succinct and accurate description, my dear."

She glanced at me, trying to gauge my reaction. I nodded at her, knowing that this needed to be done. It would be awful being separated from her, but this was far more important.

"Edward, will of course, be able to come with you. I have spoken to the board of governors and explained my reasons for wanting your mate to attend. They have agreed that a Veela and a Vampire will be invaluable members of the guard."

I squeezed her hand to let her know that I agreed with his plan. The alternative was to be away from Bella – anything was better than that.

"We'll do it, Professor."

"Excellent. Severus, will you take it from here?"

Snape pulled a small package from his robes and opened it. It contained no less than ten wands.

"You will have to take one of my wands, Isabella. They are the only ones that open the dungeons, which is where you will be working, primarily. Dungeon three has been cleared for you. There will be no classes in there this year. It is now your office."

She picked a random wand from the package and waved it, idly. A shot of red light flew from the tip and left a crater in the wall behind us.

"Perhaps not." Snape murmured. "Another, please."

She selected a second wand and pointed it at the glass in front of her. The contents emptied and the glass began to do cartwheels along the edge of the table.

"Very good. How does it feel?"

"Weak, Sir. I channelled all of my concentration onto that one, simple spell."

He nodded and took the wand back, grasping it in his right hand. Bella pulled her own wand from her pocket and aimed it at Professor Snape. I was undeniably confused. No one seemed to care that she was about to attack her potions Master.

"Expelliarmus." She muttered, lazily. Snape's wand flew from his hand and Bella used a charm to direct it into her open hand.

She flicked the new wand at the wall and repaired her earlier damage.

"Better?" Snape enquired.

"Much, thank you." She answered, politely.

Dumbledore chose this moment to speak again.

"Isabella, I will not ask you to go through the formalities of the Hogwarts express or anything similar – but I will ask you to attend in your uniform. People will ask questions if they see you without one. If anyone asks why you are not in classes, you may tell them that I have arranged private tuition for you as you are a Veela are require a different level of education."

She nodded her agreement, but I had stopped listening after the word 'uniform'. Now _that_ was something I was very much looking forward to seeing.

"Yes, Sir. Although, I've not been to Hogsmede for quite some time – is it safe?"

"The short answer is no. I shall arrange an escort for you while you collect your school things."

She nodded and opened her school letter, A small, shiny object fell from the envelope and into her lap. She raised it in confusion. In her hand was an intricate red badge – it was shaped into the letters HG.

I didn't get to question her any further as Andromeda screeched and ran to her daughter, pulling her into a tight embrace. Sirius and William followed soon after.

I had no idea what was going on, but they were offering their congratulations to a very surprised Bella. Fred and George, however were shaking their heads at her.

"You do realise that we're going to have to disown you, Bella, don't you?" Fred said in disgust.

"It's a bit embarrassing, really. I feel like I hardly know you at all." George quipped.

I decided to ask the obvious question;

"What's going on?"

Dumbledore turned to me and smiled. "After careful consideration, I decided to appoint Isabella as Head Girl at Hogwarts, this year."

"Is that a good thing?" I trailed off in confusion. What was it with wizards and their ridiculous answers? They all spoke in riddles! Remus seemed to notice my annoyance and laughed before answering;

"Every year at Hogwarts, two students are selected from the 7th year –a boy and a girl. The recipients are always selected based on their services to the school. Examination results, extra-curricular activities, behaviour – are all taken into account. It's a very prestigious award to receive. As well as extra responsibility, Isabella with receive certain privileges at the school from now on."

No wonder Fred and George were annoyed. As resident trouble makers at Hogwarts, their best friend was letting the side down. Pride shot through me – my girl was brilliant... simple as that.

Bella was offered massive congratulations from the Order. It was in that moment that I realised how much the all loved my Bella. They had all been here, every day watching her grow – they had all played fundamental part in her upbringing. Pride resonated in each of their eyes.

Dumbledore spoke again, still singularly addressing Bella;

"I also have a message for you, from Professor McGonagall. She has asked me to inform you that you are to be captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team."

Fred and George began hollering and cheering. In their eyes, _this_ was something to be proud of. Dumbledore continued to speak over the hubbub.

"She has told me to tell you that it is imperative that you have your priorities in order. First you are to defeat Master Draco Malfoy. Only then, may you concentrate on defeating Tom Riddle."

There was a chorus of laughter throughout the room, but Fred shot up from his seat in dismay.

"Draco Malfoy is returning to Hogwarts? But he's a Death Eater!"

"Innocent until proven slimy, I'm afraid, Fred." Bella muttered.

Fred and George exchanged a brief look before turning back to Dumbledore and speaking in unison.

"We're coming back to Hogwarts, Professor." They chanted.

Bella looked outraged and twisted her head at vampire speed to face the twins.

"So you wont return to finish your education, but you _will_ return if it means having a chance to knock Draco off his broomstick?" she rattled.

They looked at each other and nodded.

"Yes." They said, simply.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore beamed. "Gentlemen, your input at the school will also be invaluable. You are more than welcome to continue your magical education, however, I had a different plan in mind, if you would be willing to hear me out."

"Go on..." They urged in unity.

"Boys – I would like to reinstate your previous positions as chief trouble makers at Hogwarts... though this time, you will have my permission to break every single rule in the book. Wont that be a nice change?" He chuckled.

"What exactly are you saying, Professor?" Fred asked.

"Well, as Isabella has already surmised, we are expecting a battle at Hogwarts within the next few months. When the Death Eaters inevitably come knocking, I am going to need time to evacuate the underage students. I am asking you, quite simply, to do whatever you can to buy me that time. The protection of the school is imperative. I am asking you to place as many traps outside the school as possible. To put it bluntly, I need you to give them hell in a way that only Fred, George and Bella can."

The trio of troublemakers looked at each other before turning back to Dumbledore;

"Done." They stated, simply.

"Isabella, would you be willing to create more Morphs and other defensive strategies? Your role will primarily be potions, but having experienced your protection of the safe house, quite frankly, we require your diabolical scheming."

"Of course." She answered respectfully.

"But how are you going to evacuate the children? There is no way in or out of that castle. The fireplaces are closed and the secret passageways sealed." Molly asked.

"Not true." Fred stated.

"There's one that can't be closed." George said pulling out a sheet of parchment from the bag around his neck.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." The trio stated, simultaneously.

"There." Bella pointed. "The serect passageway in the room of requirement."

"Goes straight to the Hogs Head." George replied.

"Which is conveniently own by Aberforth Dumbledore." Bella smiled.

"Who is none other than the headmasters brother." Fred finished, succinctly.

The Order didn't baulk as the trio spoke, they just took notes, trusting them implicitly. Apparently, they had caused enough trouble in their short lives, that everyone in the room took their advice readily.

"So," he addressed them again, "in the interest of protecting the school – do you three have any suggestions? Things that I may have overlooked?"

"Tons – there are a few things at the joke shop that will come in handy for the Order. Invisibility clothing, Peruvian instant darkness powder... that sort of thing." Fred stated.

"Not to mention all those exploding whoosh bangs we never had time to plant in Umbridge's office." George replied with a fist bump.

"We need to talk to the house elves." Bella said, quietly. "We can't order them to fight for us, but they have their own magic... magic that isn't easily recognised by wizards. Maybe we can persuade them to place a few traps around the castle. The Death Eaters wouldn't know what hit them."

" I can do that, Albus." Dora stated. "I'm back at the school tonight. How do I find the house elves? I never saw one the entire time I studied at Hogwarts."

"Go to the third floor." Fred instructed.

"Find the portrait of the bowl of fruit and tickle the peach." Bella offered.

"There's a passageway that leads to the house elves kitchen." George finished.

Dumbledore pulled himself to his fullest height before smiling at the trio in front of him.

"All I have to say, is heaven help anyone who decides to go up against you three. Before you joined the Order, I considered myself to be quite intelligent. But alas, you've foiled every single plan I've had."

They smiled, proudly – it was not often that you were praised for raising hell.

Dumbledore then turned to Jasper.

"Mr. Whitlock? Isabella tells me that you have experience in battle?" He asked, politely.

"That's true. I was in the confederate Army as a human – and then part of the Southern Vampire Wars after my transformation."

"Would you be willing to help us? I have recruits that need training. They are all willing to fight, but have no combat experience. You expertise in this area are invaluable to us." Dumbledore stated, respectfully.

Jasper sat up a little straighter in his chair, before nodding.

"If you think it will help." He stated, humbly.

"It will, indeed, dear boy. Thank you." Dumbledore then turned to Carlisle.

"Dr. Cullen – you were a muggle doctor?" He confirmed.

"Yes – for more than a century, now."

There were general murmurs of new found appreciation for the Vampire Doctor. Not only did he resist the usual diet associated with our kind, but he also spent his existence saving the lives of a lesser species.

"Carlisle, when this battle occurs there will be hundreds of creatures fighting. Bloodshed is inevitable. We have a Healer on site at Hogwarts – Madam Pomfrey, but she will need help to heal the wounded. Would you be willing to allow her to train you in magical healing? Your supernatural speed may just be the difference between our soldiers living and dying."

Carlisle didn't even hesitate. "Of course. I would be happy to help."

"Professor Dumbledore?" Bella enquired. "Can we talk about the group that Harry set up last year?"

"You are referring to Dumbledore's Army, I presume?" He said with a smile.

She giggled, lost in her own memories. "Although Harry set the group up as a way of allowing the students to learn Defence against the Dark Arts, it should not be completely disregarded. I think we should re-establish the group, Sir."

"Go on," he said with obvious intrigue.

"Professor, there are many students at Hogwarts who are of age. They do not have to join the Order to help, but could easily help us in defending the school."

"But that is what the Order is for, Bella." Molly said kindly.

"With respect, Molly – if the Ministry knew that Dumbledore had formed an Army, he would be arrested. The Ministry will have arranged formal protection for the school – if any of you are caught trespassing on school property, you will have to answer to the Wizengamot."

She turned back to Albus, who looked on, fondly.

"As students, we do not have the same worry. If we are caught by the Ministry, we'll be taken straight to Professor Dumbledore. Our punishment will be a school matter. The worst we'll suffer is detention. You could all be arrested and tried for War crimes." She finished, worriedly.

"What are you proposing, Miss black?" Dumbledore asked.

"Allow Fred, George and I to select certain trustworthy students - only those who are of age. We explain everything to them, Professor. Honesty is the best way. They will want to defend Hogwarts, Sir. It's our home. You all have to proceed with caution – everything you do is being monitored by the Ministry. The students do not have that problem. It's not unusual for students to be caught out of bed after hours, or sneaking into the forbidden forest. We'll be able to place our traps and leave. No planning or sneaking around required."

"By trustworthy students, you mean..."

"No one from Slytherin." George quipped, earning himself a laugh from the Order.

"You have my permission, Isabella. Do what you need to do – I will personally ensure that no student is punished if they are caught by Ministry officials." Dumbledore promised.

"Should we all go for a drink in Hogsmede? It looks as though Bella, Fred and George have won the war for us." William joked.

"I do feel rather inadequate. Outsmarted by the worst terrors Hogwarts has seen since Peeves attended." Sirius laughed.

"PEEVES!" The trio shouted before turning to one another and discussing plans.

"How could we forget the fourth Musketeer?" Fred bellowed.

"Disgraceful – we owe him so much." George cried, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye.

We lost them, then. They stood from the table and paced the room, talking furiously between themselves. Some of their plans were absolutely diabolical. For the first time since the war broke out, I felt truly sorry for the Death Eaters. Tom Riddle certainly hadn't factored Fred, George and Bella into his plans for world domination. To put it bluntly – he was fucked.

The meeting wrapped up after that. Dumbledore offered a few further instructions before sending everyone on their way.

I turned back to my family and raised an eyebrow at them.

"Well? What do you think?" I probed.

"They're all insane!" Emmett hollered, fondly.

Upstairs, I heard William laugh, loudly. "We are indeed, Emmett!" he quipped.

Emmett seemed embarrassed for a moment, but quickly recovered his jovial mood. I showed the family to their rooms – personal quarters may have been a better description... and then went to find my Bella. It was imperative that I find out more about this school uniform...


	16. Going to Hogwarts

The following day marked the beginning of the Cullen's integration in the war effort. We were all assigned different tasks based on our strengths. I was going to be helping Bella in the dungeons at Hogwarts. To say I was excited would be a massive understatement. I looked at my Bella, who was sleeping peacefully in the bed next to me. My tiny little witch. She had done everything in her power to make me and my family feel at home, here. She rolled in her sleep and I couldn't resist the urge to nuzzle my face into her neck. She always smelled fantastic. _Girly._

"Good Morning, Edward." She mumbled tiredly.

"It's not morning yet, sweetheart. Sleep."

She wrenched her eyes open and examined my face. I don't know what she was looking for, but something steeled her resolve, as she pulled herself upright and faced me.

"Come on. Let's get you to Hogwarts" She chuckled.

I dipped my head in embarrassment. I hadn't realised that my anticipation had been so obvious. She kissed my nose and jumped out of bed. I followed her into the closet and watched as she dressed in a beautiful summer dress and heels. _She's so ladylike._

"Ready?" She asked, sweetly, oblivious to my ogling.

I took her outstretched hand and let her lead me down to the kitchen. All of the human inhabitants of the house were still fast asleep – my family were otherwise... _engaged. _William and Sirius sat at the table – each reading a copy of the daily prophet. I pulled up a chair next to them and watched Bella walk over to Andromeda.

"Need any help, Mama?" She asked, considerately. Dro leaned down and kissed Bella's cheek before answering;

"Please, baby. Could you get started on the eggs? We'll need at least twenty. A few of the Order stayed over last night."

"Okay, Mama." She waved her wand towards the pantry and I watched as the twenty eggs flew over to Bella where they proceeded to crack themselves into a bowl.

Bella walked over to me and sat in my lap. A loaf of bread followed her, obediently. She swished her wand, and the bread began to slice itself, neatly. It was little things like this that reminded me just how much my life had changed. Just watching Bella and her Mother make breakfast involved a massive amount of wand work. Even with perfect recall, I wondered how they remembered so many different spells.

My attention was diverted when Vesper flew through the kitchen window and landed on my shoulder. Bella's owl had long since become accustomed to me and often delivered Bella's mail to me instead of her. He lifted his leg, proudly while I untied the letter attached to it. He nipped my finger and flew back out the window, hooting happily the whole way. I turned the letter over and examined the handwriting – it was from Dumbledore.

"Open it, baby." Bella murmured as she prepared three giant pots of tea. I manipulated the parchment from its confines and turned to Bella as I read the letter;

My dear, Isabella,

Please find enclosed a note for the two gentlemen who are currently guarding the fireplace in my office. Simply pass it to them and they shall let you through.

Sincerely,

Professor Dumbledore.

P.S – I do enjoy a chocolate frog.

I turned to her in confusion.

"It's the password for the gargoyles in front of the office. We wont get past them without it." She offered.

I politely declined any breakfast this morning- I was far too eager to get to Hogwarts. I played with Bella's hair as she ate her toast at Mach speed before kissing her family goodbye. She grabbed my hand and led me into her Father's office. I stepped into the fireplace and threw the Floo Powder into the green flames.

"Hogwarts!" I was able to briefly glance at Bella before my feet left the office floor. This was nothing like Apparating. As I travelled through the grates with my arms and legs tucked into a ball, my enhanced sight actually enabled me to see into the homes and offices that were connected to the Floo Network. Eventually, the world stopped spinning and my speed slowed to a gentle halt. I stepped out of the new fireplace and was immediately met by two wizards who had their wands pointed directly at my chest.

"State your purpose here, boy." One of them growled at me.

I raised my hands as if I were surrendering and spoke to them as calmly as I could, given the situation.

"My name is Edward Masen. My mate and myself are here by request of Albus Dumbledore."

"Present your Ministry issued Key Card." His voice was laced with such venom, that I really didn't want Bella to come here... but there was no way to delay her. She would be here any second. I pulled my key card out of my pocket and handed it to him. There was a flash of green light behind me – Bella had arrived. She stepped next to me and handed over her own key card.

"Merlin – this is all a little excessive isn't it, gentlemen? If you could refrain from pointing your wands at my mate, I would be much obliged. "

The lowered their wands, grudgingly.

"Thank you, gentlemen."

She stepped towards the wizards and passed the Dumbledore's note.

"A message from professor Dumbledore."

As soon as they read the note, their entire demeanours changed.

"Thank you, Miss. Sorry about that – security has been tightened. I'm sure you understand?"

"Of course – although I would exercise caution if I were you. Dumbledore is likely to have all manner of creatures arriving here in the next few weeks. I cannot imagine that most of them will take kindly to raised wands." She offered, respectfully.

They nodded and let us pass. We left the office – not entirely comfortably, knowing that our backs were to them. Bella led me down a spiral staircase, which seemed to be completely blocked at the bottom. There was literally no exit.

"Chocolate Frogs." Bella giggled at my expression.

The large stone wall split into two pieces and slowly parted like a curtain.

A few months ago, this would probably have seemed strange to me, but after eight months in the presence of Harry and then Bella, I had pretty much learned that the normal laws of physics should be ignored completely. I took my girls hand and let her lead me out of the stone chamber. My attention was redirected when I saw a small tabby cat sitting on the window ledge next to us.

"Hello Professor McGonagall." Bella chuckled. _Ah – an Animagus._

The cat leapt from the ledge and transformed, mid air, into an elderly witch.

"Isabella. Welcome home." The Scottish lady drawled. "I trust that you are returning in September?"

"Yes, Professor. Although I'm working here until term starts. Did Professor Dumbledore explain everything?"

She stared at Bella for a long moment, her tired eyes watered slightly as she gazed at my mate.

"It seems like just yesterday that you had the sorting hat on your head, Miss Black..." She murmured in sorrowful reflection.

"Professor Dumbledore explained everything to me, Isabella. The entire staff have heard of your bravery in protecting Mr. Potter. We had quite the celebration in your honour after news spread of you defeating those Death Eaters." She stepped closer to my little witch and ran her withered hand through a tendril of Bella's exquisite hair.

"_Never_ have I been more proud to be head of Gryffindor House, Isabella." She whispered.

She turned to me and I watched in dismay as her gentle persona changed rapidly. Gone was the tender old lady, in it's place stood a fierce witch.

"You look after this girl, Mr Masen. Or you will answer to me." She raised her eyebrow at me and I nodded, dumbfounded.

She gave me one final glance, before transforming back into a cat and plodding off up the corridor.

Bella turned to me and smiled a beaming smile;

"Welcome to Hogwarts, baby."

I picked her up and spun her in a circle, smiling as wide as I ever would.

I would never be able to appropriately describe my good fortune in finding such a perfect mate. I would never have access to the words that could accurately describe my exhilaration for my new life. The hundred year imprisonment that had been my existence was _gone_... and I was relishing every fucking second of my rebirth into the magical world.

"Do you want a tour?" Bella pressed when I put her down.

I cupped her tiny face in my hands and just stared at her – really stared. She had undoubtedly walked this corridor a thousand time since she began her magical education – yet her pleasure was palpable. She was drawing excitement from _me._ She wanted to see it all again through my eyes. I spoke slowly, willing her to listen – to hear the words I was saying.

" I will take _anything_ that you offer me, Bella. You've given me more than any one person should ever dare to hope for. Anything else from here on in is just a bonus."

She nuzzled her nose against my own, adorably and I couldn't help but be grateful that Fred and George weren't here to witness our love sick display. We took off at paranormal speed and raced through the corridors, far too fast for the Ministry officials or teachers to see us. She led me to a portrait of a portly lady.

"Isabella!" The lady crowed. "We heard that you would be in the castle!"

"Yes – I just wanted to show Edward around the common room, but I don't know the password. I don't suppose you would let us in for a quick look around, would you?" Bella pouted.

The lady seemed to consider her request, before laughing and swinging herself away from the wall, revealing a small doorway, complete with a knee-knocker. We stepped over the stone ledge and walked into the Gryffindor common room.

The walls were entirely decked out in lush red velvet and there seemed to be a lion engraved onto every item in the room.

"Go on upstairs, Edward." Bella muttered as she looked over the room. I followed her directions and ran up the stairs.

A caterwauling charm went off and the stairs underneath my feet seemed to turn into a hard, stone slide. I was so shocked by the events, that I couldn't place my feet on the floor and ended up sliding down the spiral slide unceremoniously on my ass. I was met at the bottom by Bella, who was laughing uncontrollably at my dilemma. I raised an eyebrow at her and sank into a hunting crouch.

"Is something amusing, Miss Black?" I purred.

I watched as her eyes darkened, noticeably. Isabella was anything but afraid of my inner Vampire. In fact, I had recently learned that she found the vibrations that accompanied my growling to be extremely useful...

She smiled at me seductively before leaping into my arms. She waved her wand and our feet left the floor.

"Men aren't allowed in the girl's dormitory... as you can tell. But I'm going to sneak you in. I think think that you'll like this part of the tour..."

"Oh really? Why is that?" I said distractedly as I bit down on her earlobe.

"Because I'm about to show you the tiny little bed, in which, your mate _dreamt_ of you night after _long_... _lonely... _night."

That was it. I was gone. Just the idea of Bella having _those_ thoughts about me before I even knew she existed, was enough to have me straining against my jeans. She levitated us up to the dormitory and pointed out her small single bed, which I successfully demolished several times, in every conceivable position I knew.

* * *

After our slight... _detour_... Bella and I dressed hurriedly and raced out of the common room, leaving behind a smirking lady guarding the portrait hole. We walked at a fast human pace to each classroom that Bella studied in and then went down to the great hall. I had seen pictures of it in Hogwarts; A History, but it left so much to be desired.

The only way to describe what I was seeing was, quite literally, Magical. The hall was colossal. Long tables lined the length of it, and the ceiling was adorned with floating candles, which lit up a bewitched sky. She pointed out her friend Hagrid's hut, but we didn't go down. We knew that Hagrid was currently in France, seeking as many giants as he could find.

We raced to the Quidditch pitch that I had seen in Bella's pensieve so many times. Harry and my brothers had watched memories of every Gryffindor Quidditch game they had played in.

She pointed out the edge of the forbidden forest and I stepped forward to go into it. Bella grabbed my hand and halted my movement.

"No, Edward. This forest did not get it's name through myth and legend. It was dangerous enough before the war broke out, but now? It's impassable. This forest is full of more creatures than I could possibly explain in a day – and all of them are gearing up for war. They may not all be on our side." She whispered, glancing into the trees behind me.

I scoffed at her, disbelievingly. So long as there were no wizards in there, what could possibly hurt a Vampire and a Veela? She noticed my expression and shook her head, ferociously.

"_Please_ trust me to keep you safe, Edward. If we set foot in that forest – we will not come back out again." She whimpered, desperately.

My attention was sidetracked – the idea of exploring the Forest dimmed from my mind as I noticed the serious expression that covered Bella's face. Her posture was aggressive. She was unconsciously leaning into a crouch – getting ready to attack. I wasn't sure if she was preparing to defend me or protect me from my own idiocy. I scolded my immaturity. Isabella was standing in front of me, clearly terrified – and I was mocking her for wanting to care for me. I pulled her into my arms and stroked her hair, reassuringly.

"I'm sorry, little one. If you say it's too dangerous, then we'll stay away." She nodded into my shoulder, but did not relax her posture. She was still on the defensive. I went to take her face in my hands, but stopped when I felt the temperature suddenly drop by at least ten degrees in a matter of seconds. Bella groaned and raised her head from my shoulder. Her gaze was fixated on the trees leading into the forest. I followed her eyes, trying to work out what she was looking at.

Her hand moved to her pocket, _so_ slowly, as if she were afraid of drawing attention to herself.

"Baby?" I questioned. "What is it? Baby you're shaking." I demanded, trying to ascertain what was scaring my mate.

"We are not alone, here." She whispered. "We should not have come." She gasped.

She raised her wand and sent a jet of red light away from the forest, towards the castle.

"What was that? What did you do?" I questioned, frantically.

"I've sent for help. Don't move, Edward. Just stay very still, okay?" I nodded, panicking.

I allowed my head to turn towards the forest, needing to know what was coming. I _had_ to be able to help Bella.

"It's no use, Edward. You cannot fight these creatures... They cannot be killed, they do not die." She stammered.

"What is seeking us, Bella?" I pressed.

"Dementors." She croaked. "The Dementors are coming. Whatever you do... Do. Not. Run."

"What will happen if we run?" I whispered, not entirely sure that I wanted to know the answer.

"Our soles. They will suck out our souls." _Well that's alright – I haven't got one of those._

_But Bella does..._

My thoughts became more and more morbid. I flagellated my entire existence. All the progress I had made since I had met Bella, seemed pointless. I cursed my pathetic existence and for the first time in many months, I actually wished I was dead. I fell to the floor, unable to care that we were about to die. Unable to care about anything. Let them come. Let them have me.

I vaguely noticed Bella swear and raise her wand;

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" She screamed, louder than I had ever heard her, before.

A barrier flew from her wand and created a wide arch around us. As soon as the shield was in place, I began to feel marginally better. I heard footsteps rushing towards us. At least ten other screams of the same incantation were bellowed towards the forest.

The pain I had felt, slowly began to ebb away, until my own emotions came back to me. A singular thought swept through my entire being and I only had one question; What the_ fuck_ just happened?

I spun around and the sight in front of me made me double take. Bella stood at the edge of the Forest, her wand still raised. Behind her stood Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore. Severus Snape took position next to Bella and slowly pulled her away from the edge of the forest, shielding her tiny body with his own.

There were a few other faces in the crowd, none of whom I recognised. When the last feelings of despair passed, they all lowered their wands and backed away from the Forest.

Dumbledore approached Bella, who was still safely tucked behind Severus Snape.

"Isabella? Are you okay, child?" He questioned, sympathetically.

She nodded and turned to her teachers;

"Thank you all for coming down here. We went too close to the edge of the Forest..." She trailed off, her eyes still fixed of the eerie trees.

"Albus," Severus began, "we need to get those Dementors out of here. It took eight humans, a veela and a werewolf to send them away. Someone is going to get killed." He said harshly.

Dumbledore nodded his head, gravely.

"I shall speak to the Ministry, tonight." He vowed.

Severus scooped Bella into his arms and carried her over to where I was sitting, still badly shaken.

"Edward, I have blood supplies in my dungeon. You will feel better when you have replenished your fluids. Come, we shall get you fed." He instructed.

I followed the potions master, who was still cradling my Bella. I was literally too weak to do it myself.

Remus stepped forward and slipped his arm around me. As a werewolf, he was the only person here that was able to support the weight of a Vampire.

We fled the border of the Forest and I listened to the conversations around me as I stumbled back to the castle.

"I scarcely dared to believe that you captured three Death Eaters, Isabella – but after seeing you hold off a hundred Dementors on your own, I am extremely glad that you fight for our side in this war." A portly lady said proudly.

"Thank you, Professor Sprout." My little witch said, tiredly.

"Well at any rate, it's good to have at least one student back in the castle."

"She's not here to study, Wilhelmina ." McGonagall said, fondly.

"Well whatever is she here for then?" she questioned.

"I have hired Isabella to brew our health potions. Poppy has given me a list of everything she needs to nurse our wounded back to health. Miss Black has kindly agreed to make them for us." Dumbledore stated, with a touch of pride.

"So will you be returning to your studies in September, Isabella?" Professor Sprout questioned.

"I'm not sure if I'll have time." She answered, honestly. "Professor Dumbledore has asked me and the twins to set up a few obstacles for the Death Eaters in my spare time. I would love to earn my N.E.W.T qualifications, but this is more important." She finished, sadly.

"You shall earn you qualifications, Isabella." Snape said, determinedly. "If we have to coach you nightly – you shall sit your examinations."

"Hear, hear." Remus said.

"I imagine that you could sit them now and pass, dear. We heard about the Morphs you set up to protect Mr. Potter. It's not every day that someone manages to confuse Alistair Moody!" Sprout chuckled.

"Tell me, my dear, are you a full blood?" One of the wizards questioned.

"Does it matter?" Isabella sneered in disgust.

Severus Snape paused, momentarily, after hearing her outburst. He glanced down at my little witch, scanning her face, intently. He seemed completely unaware of the attention he had drawn from everyone. His grip tightened around Bella, significantly, who seemed completely oblivious to the attention she was receiving from the cold, Professor. He squeezed her tighter into his chest and resumed his frantic pace.

"Come," he muttered to the audience, "Edward needs blood and Isabella needs warmth. We must hurry."

He doubled his strides and swept through the door. The majority of the staff filed off to their own stations, but Snape led us down to the dungeons, followed closely by Professor Dumbledore and Remus Lupin, who was still supporting my weight.

He pulled a wand from his cloak and opened the door to dungeon three. It seemed to be a fairly standard classroom – cauldrons lined the tables in every row. He bypassed the chairs and opened a small door that was concealed at the front of the room, behind the desk.

It swung open to reveal a small chamber. It was adorned with a desk and a large, double bed.

"I took the liberty of procuring a bed for you both. Some of the potions require attention at inconvenient hours and you will not always be able to return to your Father's home." He offered as he lay Bella down on the bed before stepping away, respectfully.

"Thank you, Severus." I offered, wearily. "She only needs a few hours sleep a night, but it had been a concern of mine."

He waved me off with his hand and walked into the cupboard the resided in the office. He returned with a small bottle of blood and poured it into a glass.

"This is Unicorn Blood. The blood of a Unicorn is the most potent in our world – it will restore your health, immediately. But I must warn you – you must never hunt a Unicorn. To kill one comes with grim consequences. This blood was procured by Rubeus Hagrid... he had permission to draw a sample from one of the injured. I must implore you not to attempt the same." He said, seriously as he handed me the glass.

I nodded and raised the glass to my lips. The liquid seared down my throat, burning uncomfortably all the way down. I winced as it set my throat ablaze. The heat gradually lessened and I felt my strength return to me almost instantaneously.


	17. Please don't leave me

**RECAP:**

_He waved me off with his hand and walked into the cupboard the resided in the office. He returned with a small bottle of blood and poured it into a glass._

"_This is Unicorn Blood. The blood of a Unicorn is the most potent in our world – it will restore your health, immediately. But I must warn you – you must never hunt a Unicorn. To kill one comes with grim consequences. This blood was procured by Rubeus Hagrid... he had permission to draw a sample from one of the injured. I must implore you not to attempt the same." He said, seriously as he handed me the glass._

_I nodded and raised the glass to my lips. The liquid seared down my throat, burning uncomfortably all the way down. I winced as it set my throat ablaze. The heat gradually lessened and I felt my strength return to me almost instantaneously. _

* * *

"Thank you, Severus – and you, too, Remus." I offered as I stepped over to Bella, who was now dozing peacefully on the bed.

The three gentlemen stepped out of the room quietly, with the intention of letting her sleep.

"I shall come back in a few hours, Edward. It will give Isabella a chance to sleep off the effects of the Dementors. In the mean time, I shall attend to the wall..." he trailed off, quietly.

"Wall?" I questioned in confusion.

Remus turned to me and answered, lowly. It astounded me that the three men were aware of Bella's sensitive hearing – to the point that, even though we had left the room, they still knew enough to remember to whisper.

"We are currently trying to block all of the secret passageways. They are sealed by magic, but it will not take the Death Eaters long to counter-curse our defences. The only other thing we can do is set up a _physical_ barrier. The Order are currently filling the passageways with boulders. It will take them hours to navigate through them all... but even with a wand, it is time consuming." He finished, tiredly.

"Is that something I can help with?" I offered. "I'm not sure how long it would take you to move the boulders with a wand, but if it frees you up to do more important things, I will happily take over for you." I trailed off, lamely.

The men glanced at each other, briefly, seeming uncomfortable.

"You would not mind?" Severus asked, curiously. "We would have asked, but were worried of offending you."I laughed quietly at them.

"I promise you, gentlemen, that it is no trouble. I am uncomfortable leaving Bella, but if someone could watch over her while she sleeps, I will head over there now." I said.

"I can sit with her, Edward. I'll start off some of the potions for her." Severus replied.

"Excellent." I dashed to Bella and pulled the small velvet pouch from around her neck. "Would one of you mind summoning the Marauders map from in here? It will take me a year to rifle through it otherwise."

They all chuckled at me before Severus raised his wand.

"Accio map."

The wand flew from the bag into his outstretched hand. Remus took it from him and tapped his wand onto it, three times.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

The map appeared on the parchment and I turned it towards Severus.

"Where are the passageways that you want me to seal?"

He pointed out six passageways and told me how to access them. After assessing their size and length I ascertained that it would roughly take me an hour to fill all seven tunnels. I blanched when I realised that it would have taken them _days_ and many hands to do the jobs themselves. I was about to leave when I spun on my heel and faced the three relieved men.

"I must ask you to promise me something... please do not be afraid to approach me or my family for help with tasks such as these. I realise that you are perfectly capable of completing the job yourselves, but it would seem that your time would be better spent completing your wand work around the castle – something I am incapable of doing. We want to help, truly." I finished, sincerely.

Dumbledore stepped forward and the two remaining wizards followed closely behind him.

"There are numerous tasks that would be far more easily completed by a Vampire..." he trailed off uncertainly.

"Just let us know where and when you need us and we'll be here." I offered sincerely. "I have actually spoken to my family last night about the battle itself... we think we may be able to help with that."

"What did you have in mind?" Severus asked, curiously.

"When Isabella was training Harry, she told him that normal spells do not work on Vampires. There are a few that do, by they need to be cast by someone with stronger Magic... a Veela for example. Something which is very unlikely to occur."

"That is true, yes." Snape replied.

"My Father had suggested that we act as physical shields during the battle. If someone were willing to teach us which spells we need to avoid, we can shield the Order from everything else."

The men were obviously shocked by our offer, so I continued.

"You must remember that the spells that _you_ fear, literally bounce off of us. We don't feel them, at all. The only thing preventing us from doing this is the inevitable blood that will be spilled during the battle. My family and I have restrained ourselves for decades, but it is difficult to resist fresh blood. If there is any way that we can prevent our blood lust from kicking in around the injured, we will be able to fight, too. We can protect you."

"I will research it." Snape answered. "There must be a way to shield you from the scent of blood."

"Yes – I too will look for an answer. Thank you, Edward. On behalf of the staff and the Order. Your offer is most welcome." Dumbledore conceded.

As I predicted, it only took an hour to close all the tunnels. With each one that I closed, I was able to relieve the two members of the Order that guarded each end. After just an hours work, twenty four witches and wizards were free to work on other protection services to the school.

_Why hadn't they just asked for my help?_

I flashed back to the Dungeons after being thanks profusely by everyone I came across. Severus was hunched over several cauldrons, stirring something with precise movements. I knew better than to disturb him, so I simply pulled up a stood and watched him. Unlike Bella, the Professor did not seem to need a potions book to help him brew his concoctions... I briefly wondered just how many times he had done this before.

I pulled Bella's list out of her pouch. She had mentioned that she would be brewing blood replenishing potions first. I grabbed her copy of 'alchemy through the ages' and opened it to the relevant page. I flashed to the store cupboard and pulled out the Lacewing Flies and Porcupine Quills. The Salamander blood smelled revolting, but I took it out anyway. After arranging a cauldron on each table, I counted out the right amount of each ingredient that she would need. Severus finished what he was doing and came over to help me set up the ingredients.

"You've blocked the tunnels already?" He questioned in surprise.

"Yes – they're all done." I answered, tipping the beetles out of their jars.

He paused his ministration, seemingly deliberating over something. Eventually he steeled his resolve and spoke again;

"We may have to change the curriculum, come September. The students learn of Vampires when they enter their third year. One of the core subjects is the Southern Vampire Wars and your Volturi. However, after meeting your coven, I must admit that we may have been a little biased towards your kind." He spoke, quietly.

"I wouldn't make any hasty decisions, Severus. Our kind are notorious for the bloodshed that they leave in their wake. You are wise to advise your students to proceed with caution around us." I murmured.

"Perhaps," he muttered, dryly.

"I am sure that there is much we could learn from one another. I've been exposed to Magic for nearly nine months, now and there is still so much that I do not understand – even with enhanced abilities. Bella explains what she can – but there are certain things that she can't, or _won't_ tell me about. " I admitted honestly.

"What is it that she refrains from exposing?" He questioned.

I sighed and stopped distributing Bella's ingredients. I rubbed my hands over my face in a truly human gesture – but it gave me comfort.

"Isabella hears so much more than she should." I confessed. "After you approached her about brewing these potions, I asked her why you did not simply make them yourself. I was curious to know what was so important, that you would be taken from such a vital role."

Snape stiffened and also stopped working. "What was her response," he said, gruffly.

"She simply told me that she couldn't say. She explained that she hears so much more than she's supposed to and in the wrong hands, the information could be fatal. She explained that your role in the Order was second only to Harry's and that I shouldn't talk about it anymore." I finished, succinctly.

Snape huffed a relieved sigh and glanced, briefly, at the door behind which, Bella was sleeping peacefully. I wished for the umpteenth time, that the wizards around me would lower their mental shields. I would trade a limb just for a glimpse into their perplexing minds.

"Isabella is the very last thing you expect when you meet her. Have you met others of her kind?" he questioned.

"Only her Mother – though I am supposed to be meeting her cousins this week. The Delacour's?"

Snape huffed a bitter laugh and met my gaze.

"Andromeda is anything but a kitten... you will see that in time, I imagine. She surrounds herself with those that she can stand to tolerate and ignores everyone else. Isabella, however is a conundrum... a perplexing riddle that none of the Order can understand."

"Go on," I urged.

"By nature, Veela are cold creatures. Their vanity is second to none. They have no scruples and happily manipulate naive young men with their wiles. Their tempers are barely contained at the best of times. Hogwarts do not usually admit them into the castle."

"But Bella..." I Questioned.

"Is the first Veela to ever be admitted to Hogwarts." He said succinctly.

"I don't understand." I admitted.

"Veela have their own school, in France. It is small – there are only a few thousand Veela in the world. The magical education of Isabella's kind is usually left to the staff at Beauxbaton Academy. Isabella, however, was admitted by Albus after she showed none of the symptoms that usually coincide with her nature."

"I had no idea..."

"As I said, she is the very last thing you expect. She is modest of her abilities and seems apparently oblivious to the effects she has on the male students who attend the school. She refuses the Dark Arts and their lures. She has no interest in money, politics or blood status."

He continued chopping the beetles as he spoke;

"She comes from a very old, very noble blood line. Her family are considered to be one of high stature within our world... yet she disregarded this completely and befriended the Weasley twins, who are in comparison - considered by many, to be blood traitors. She was expected to marry someone of equal status, yet she comes home with a Vampire who has no knowledge whatsoever of our world."

"As you stated earlier, she overhears secrets pertaining to the Order that should wield her great power, yet she says nothing. She respects our privacy – even to the point of concealing things from her mate. She Volunteered to place her own life on the line to protect Mr. Potter. She aided in the capture of three death Eaters and has returned to Hogwarts, _again_, to offer her protection. These traits are fairly uncommon in humans – but for a Veela? They are unheard of." He finished, tiredly.

"But what of Andromeda?" I questioned. "She has been very welcoming of me..."

"But have you actually seen her lift a finger for the Order? Oh she'll cook and clean for the family, but you will not see her raise her wand."

I thought back over the last few days. She had attended the meetings, but had barely spoken. She had Apparated to Forks, but was only there to rescue her daughter...

"You will find that Isabella's cousins are they same. You will have noticed, of course, that though Bill Weasley attends every Order meeting, he is not accompanied by his Fiancée, Fleur? Our work would be considered beneath a Veela. You will see very few, if any, besides Isabella at the final Battle." He finished.

He raised his wand and waved it towards the window. A few seconds later, a book flew in and landed with a thump on the table in front of us.

"Take this," he offered, "it will prepare for what is coming when you meet Isabella's relatives. You would do well to read it. Veela are easily offended – we would not want a brawl at the next Order meeting, would we?" he chuckled. The smile that graced his withered face seemed to lift ten years off his age.

"Thank you." I stammered. He waved me off with his hand and tidied his things before leaving the dungeon completely.

I flipped open the book and scan read page after page of information on Veela's. What I saw shocked me to no end. They were described as vicious and cold. The book called them succubae – incapable of real love. They were responsible for broken homes and fractured marriages...

I closed the book, having seen enough. My Bella was nothing like those women. I would deal with the mad relatives as best as I could. I chuckled quietly – it was such a _normal_ problem to have, wasn't it? Difficult relations and crazy relatives...

I turned around, with the intention of checking on Bella, only to find her standing in the doorway, tears flowing silently down her beautiful face.

"Please," she begged. "I'm nothing like them. _Please_. Don't leave me." Her voice was barely a whisper, but the barely restrained panic was clear. She had seen the book and thought that I would leave her – as if such a thing were possible. I flashed over to her and cradled her in my arms while she cried, quietly.

"I'm not leaving you, little witch. Severus just wanted to help me prepare for your relatives, that's all."

Her tiny hands fisted my shirt, holding me in place.

"Look at me Bella, please." She complied and my heart broke when I saw her eyes. They were lifeless and empty.

"Sweetheart, I could no more leave you than I could grow a beard. My heart, just like my body, is frozen, permanently. I will love you, sweet girl, until the world stops spinning. I swear it."

I held her a little tighter and breathed in her beautiful scent.

"So," I started, "are they really that bad? You relatives?"

"They're insane." She growled. "I'm worried they'll scare you off."

I laughed freely, not understanding how they could possibly be that bad. I would just have to trust my little witch.


	18. I'm Teddy

**_RECAP: _**

"_I'm not leaving you, little witch. Severus just wanted to help me prepare for your relatives, that's all."_

_Her tiny hands fisted my shirt, holding me in place. _

"_Look at me Bella, please." She complied and my heart broke when I saw her eyes. They were lifeless and empty. _

"_Sweetheart, I could no more leave you than I could grow a beard. My heart, just like my body, is frozen, permanently. I will love you, sweet girl, until the world stops spinning. I swear it."_

_I held her a little tighter and breathed in her beautiful scent._

"_So," I started, "are they really that bad? You relatives?"_

"_They're insane." She growled. "I'm worried they'll scare you off." _

_I laughed freely, not understanding how they could possibly be that bad. I would just have to trust my little witch._

* * *

After a long night of brewing, I was able to take Bella home. She had not seen her Father in 24 hours and I was certain that he would be worrying about her. Especially after news of the Dementor attack reached him. The second we stepped out of the fireplace, Bella was swept protectively into William's arms.

"The Forest, Bella? You know better than that." He chastised.

"It was my fault," I interrupted, "Bella told me to come away. I didn't listen."

"Well you're both safe now. I suggest you get into the kitchen and let the family fuss over you for a bit. They're all really quite worried about you, sweetheart. Not a week passes by without us receiving news of a near death experience involving the two of you."

Bella rolled her eyes, like the true teen that she is and stomped of towards the kitchen. I managed to wait until she was out of earshot before I lost my shit and burst out laughing, with William right alongside me. We caught up with our stroppy witch in the kitchen and she did _not_ look impressed as her mother pressed kisses all over her face.

"You need to be more careful, Isabella." She scolded.

"Yes, Mama." She answered dutifully. I could hear the sarcasm rolling off her in waves.

"Edward?" Remus called. "Are you feeling better, now?"

"Much – thank you. Severus fixed me up..."

The rest of my sentence was drowned out when I heard a child scream.

"Aunty Bella!" A boy of no more than three ran past Remus and straight over to my little witch. He had the most striking ice blue eyes, which were a perfect contrast to his raven black hair.

_This must be Teddy._

Bella had often spoken of her little nephew. They were not actually blood related, but it didn't make a scrap of difference to my girl. She loved that little boy like he was her own. Remus and Dora had asked her to be God-Mother and she had jumped at the chance. Bella's face took on an expression I had never seen before. As she picked up her Nephew, she showed such _tenderness_ in her hold of him, that I felt as though I were intruding upon a private moment.

"You came back!" He crowed, triumphantly.

"Of course I came back," she murmured affectionately into his ear.

"You're not going away again?" He said, sadly.

"No, baby. I'm staying right here."

He wrapped his little arms around her neck and held on for dear life. Someone was going to have to pry him off later on.

"Want to meet your Uncle Edward?" Bella asked. He raised his head and looked around frantically.

"Yeah! I didn't even know I _had_ one." He proclaimed in shock.

The Order laughed at his enthusiasm. Bella strolled over to me, with Teddy still clinging on to her neck. I suddenly felt nervous. This was someone that Bella _adored._ What if he doesn't like me?

The closer they got, the more nervous I became.

She squeezed my hand, comfortingly, as though she could hear every thought I was having.

"Teddy, baby? This is your Uncle Edward. Edward, this is –"

"I'm Teddy Lupin!" He crowed, proudly. "You're a Vampire!"

I huffed out a small laugh. Not only did he know what I was the moment he laid eyes on me, he also didn't give a shit, whatsoever.

"I _am_ a Vampire." I answered him.

"Cool. Are you really old?" Once again, I lost my shit and burst out laughing. I could see why Bella loved this kid so much.

"I am _really_ old." I chuckled.

Teddy freed himself from Bella's grasp, only to hold his arms out in front of me;

"Up." He commanded.

I glanced at Bella, who nodded at me with a smile. I picked him up and watched as he looked me all over. I felt as though he was examining me. He touched everything he could reach. My hair, my eyes, my hands. It was quite literally like he was feeling me out.

Eventually his movements slowed and the questions began again. He wanted to know _everything. _

He quizzed me on my age and where I was from. He wanted to know how fast I could run, if I sparkled in the sunlight, why my eyes weren't red... the questions went on and on – but if I was honest, his easy acceptance warmed me.

When he finally ran out of questions and lay his little head down on my shoulder, something deep inside of me changed. As a human, I had never thought about being a Father – it was something I had taken for granted. I knew that one day I would marry and raise a family... but it hadn't been at the forefront of my mind.

But now, as little Teddy Lupin rested his tired head against my shoulder, I couldn't help but hope that Bella would bless me with a few of our own children, sooner rather than later.

After a noisy lunch, Remus and Dora were called away for business with the order, which left Teddy in our care.

"Come on, Uncle Edward! Lets go outside!"

He put his little hand in my own, so trustingly and led me out into the Black's extensive grounds. As soon as we were outside, he dropped my hand and ran over to a large white shed.

"Help, Uncle Edward!" He commanded.

I raced over to him and helped him open the doors. Inside there were at least thirty brooms of various make and age. Teddy went over to a miniature broom, that was fastened to the wall, securely. I helped him undo the straps and watched him as he carried it outside and placed it on the floor.

He held his hand over it and yelled;

"Up!" The broom followed his command and flew into his waiting hand.

_Wandless Magic..._

Panic surged through me as he mounted the broom. I had seen just how fast these things could go. I went to pull him off of it, when Bella came outside and sat in the grass next to Teddy.

"Careful, splodge." She murmured. He rolled his eyes at her and kicked his leg off the floor. The broom lifted a foot and began to slowly circle the garden. It never sped up or flew any higher... it was a gentle human pace.

"It's only a child's broom, Edward. Don't panic." Bella smiled.

"I can't help it. He's so small – and I've seen what brooms can do."

"Would you like to try flying for yourself? Fred and George left the bewitched broom for you. It's in the shed."

I nodded, frantically as Bella giggled at me. She flashed to the shed and came back with my very own broomstick. Once again, she placed it on the floor and told me to copy what Teddy had done.

"Up." I commanded. The broom flew into my hand, vibrating slightly.

"Here, baby. Put your leg over it and kick off from the floor gently. If you want to come back down, just lean forwards." She murmured into my ear.

_This girl has no idea how seductive she is..._

I followed her instructions, but must have kicked off too hard, because the next thing I knew, I was fifty feet in the air and climbing.

"Go, Baby!" Bella cheered. I vaguely heard the rest of the Cullen family run out into the garden. They were cheering along with Bella.

"Hey, Edward?" I heard Bella holler. I twisted the broom round to face her and raised an eyebrow from my perch a hundred feet in the air.

"Catch!" She giggled. I watched as she threw something golden up into the air as hard as she could. About sixty feet up, it sprouted wings and I realised that she had thrown me her snitch. I raced after it – exhilaration coursed through me. I had never experienced anything as incredible as flying. The snitch weaved and dodged me, but I eventually closed my fingers around it. I turned around, wanting to show Bella that I had caught it – but she wasn't there. In fact none of the family were there, nor was the house. Laughing all the way, I raced back in the direction of the manor.

I heard them, before I saw them;

"Well done, Edward!" Jasper crowed.

"Dude that was _awesome!"_ Emmett hollered.

I only had eyes for my girl, though, who was currently staring at me as though she had never seen me before. I was about to ask her if she was okay when her mental shield flew open. Her mental voice, was so unlike anyone else's. With others, I heard thoughts, but with Bella? I _felt_ what she was feeling. I _saw_ what she saw. Her mind was a physical place that I wanted to crawl inside of and never come back out again.

I could _feel_ the love and lust radiating from my little witch's mind. She wanted me – and she wanted me, now.

_Baby? Please._

I nodded and swooped down to Bella. She threw her leg over the back of the broom, holding on to my waist as I kicked off the floor again.

Ignoring my family, I sped away from the house with my girl behind me.

_Edward?_

"Yes, love?"

_Want to join the mile high club?_

Fuck... me...

* * *

The following morning, just as the sun began to rise, Bella stirred in my arms. I instinctively held her closer to me as she began to wake up. She wrapped her small hands into the hair at the nape of my neck and pulled my face down to hers where I was rewarded with an Earth shattering kiss.

"I love you," She whispered as I panted – still recovering from her affection.

"I love you, too, little one." I kissed her for a few more minutes before I pulled back – I wanted to get my mate fed - she hadn't eaten dinner last night..

"Sweetheart? Can I take you downstairs to get some breakfast?" She nodded and I carried her into the closet, where she pulled out a pair of my joggers and a Tee. She slipped on one of her hoodies and a pair of fluffy slippers. I looked her over and raised an eyebrow. It was very unlike Bella to dress so casually.

"I'm weak, Edward." She whispered. "I haven't eaten in a while and my kind rely on massive amounts of food to keep us going... I literally have as much strength as a kitten right now.."

Guilt ripped through me and I held my little witch to me closely.

"We're going to have a lazy day today, baby. " I told her.

I matched her outfit, opting for joggers and a Tee before picking her up and wrapping her legs around my waist. She lay her head on my shoulder and I carried my weak little kitten downstairs. The dining room was packed to the rafters by the time we got down there. My family were all seated at the table with the Order. Bella's family were serving up breakfast. The room fell silent as I walked in carrying my mate, but I ignored the mental voices of my family. I needed to take care of Bella before I worried about anything else.

"Edward?" William questioned.

I turned my head and saw that he had pulled out a chair for us. I sat down next to him and allowed him to pile up an enormous plate of food for Bella.

"You ok, baby?" Dro questioned her daughter, lovingly.

Bella pulled her head up from my shoulder as though it weighed a tonne. She shook her head at the Mother, who immediately crouched down in front of us. The entire room still remained silent, watching us intently.

I picked up a spoonful of eggs and brought it to Bella's mouth. She pried open her mouth and forced herself to swallow the food. That single spoonful put some much needed colour into her cheeks. Relief swept through me as I gave her a second taste – then a third. It took me half an hour of spoon feeding my girl before she finally declared herself to be full. The effect was immediate, though. She spun herself around in my lap and faced her Mother, who sat across the table looking at her daughter, fondly.

"What on Earth are you wearing, children?" She giggled as she gestured to our sweatpants.

Bella laughed and some of the tension in the room, broke.

"They're muggle clothes, Mama. They're so _comfy!_ But these ones are especially comfortable – they're Edward's and they're huge on me." She giggled.

"I can see that!" Her Mother quipped. "If you like them so much, we'll get you some of your own. Those ones are threatening to fall down around your ankles any second!" She chuckled.

Vesper flew through the window and landed on my shoulder, holding his leg out, proudly.

"Wotcher, Vesper." I muttered, distractedly as I untied the letter.

Bella gasped next to me and I whipped round to face her;

"What?" I questioned. "What's the matter?"

"You said _Wotcher!"_ She said while clapping her hands a massive grin on her face.

If I could have blushed, I would. I hadn't noticed that I had been picking up the little idiosyncrasies that embodied the essence of a wizard. The Order spoke so _differently_ it was almost as though they had their own language. They didn't really need to watch what they said in the Muggle world – no one would have been able to understand a word they said anyway. When Harry had first arrived, we had constantly asked him to rephrase everything he said, to the point that he stopped using Wizarding phrases at all.

I grinned at Bella, who was still beaming at me. "_Merlin..._so I did." I winked.

My comments was met with a round of applause from the Order.

"He's officially one of us." Dora giggled while I finished untying Bella's letter.

"Here you are, love." I said as I passed her the letter.

She took it in her small hands and stared at it. The table went quiet when we saw the expression on her face.

"It's from Harry." She whispered. She didn't open it, but placed it on the table. She was either still upset after Harry's easy dismissal of her before he left, or she didn't want an audience. Either way, I knew she needed a distraction.

"Are we due at Hogwarts, today?" I asked, trying to change the subject. She smiled at me, gratefully – pleased for the distraction.

"Actually, no. Professor Snape will be monitoring the potions for today... We're going to Diagon Alley."

I whipped my head round to face her. She _knew_ that I was desperate to go there. The little minx had kept it quiet.

"Why didn't you _say_ anything before?" I implored.

"Because you would have been bouncing on the bed with excitement all night. I wouldn't have got a wink of sleep between you and Alice itching to get there by sun-up." She giggled.

"SHOPPING!" Alice squealed, excitedly.

"Alice, you have to prepare yourself for a certain level of disappointment, I'm afraid. Half of the shops don't even open their doors anymore. People are scared. We're going to go there, get what we need and get back here as quickly as possible." Sirius warned her.

She nodded her head, sadly and leant into Jasper's side.

"How will we get there?" Rosalie questioned.

"Well we're actually only about fifty miles from London. The entire Order will be escorting us, so we'll apparate to the Leaky Cauldron and go in through the wall." Andromeda replied.

This made absolutely no sense to me, but after learning the hard way – it was easier to just go with the flow.

We all filed out into the garden to the Manor. It was bizarre to see thirty people going shopping together – but Dumbledore insisted that we all travel together.

"Right you lot," Mad-eye growled, "there are snatchers and Death Eaters crawling all over Diagon Alley. Do not wander off on your own. If you get into any trouble send up a red flare. Vampires – run like your being chased. Are we clear?"

We all nodded, dutifully. I watched as each of the Wizards, grabbed one of my covens hands. Bella came over and grasped mine.

"Ready, sweetheart?" She asked.

I gave her hand a squeeze as she twisted into the suffocating darkness. We reappeared in an Alley way next to a busy London Street. We waited, patiently for everyone else to arrive and then followed dutifully behind Moody as he led us into a pub named the leaky cauldron.

"Just popping through today, Tom." He growled. The bartender nodded his head, sadly.

We walked straight through the murky old pub and filed out onto a patio, outside.

"Isabella?" Moody prompted. She pulled her wand from her robes and stepped towards the wall in front of us. She touched her wand to four specific bricks and I watched in amazement as the wall began to open. As the hole grew, we found ourselves looking at a completely concealed street. There were wizards everywhere. Some on brooms, some disaparating. There were shops and stalls – magical items on sale, everywhere. Bella pulled me through the wall and smiled.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley." She grinned. No wonder Bella had told us that you would never find it unless you had a witch with you. It was a whole world, completely concealed by magic.

"Bella? What do you need first, baby?" Dro asked, sweetly.

"I have to pop into Madam Malkins. I need new school robes." She said, excitedly.

She pulled us towards a crooked, old shop and led me inside.

"You all go on in," Dora gestured to my family. "It's nothing us wizards haven't seen before."

They all piled into the shop, excitedly – Alice leading the way.

"Good Morning, Madam Malkin." My girl addressed the witch, politely.

The portly lady pulled herself to her fullest height and pulled a list from her robes.

"Hello, Isabella. Can you just confirm your full name, school and year. Ministry rules, I'm afraid." She apologised, sympathetically."

"Isabella Asheya Black - 7th year at Hogwarts."

"Lovely." She ticked off my Bella's name on her list. "Up you pop then."

Bella went over to one of the low stools and stepped onto it.

"What are we fitting your for today, then?" The witch enquired, kindly.

"Five sets of school robes and two sets of Quidditch, please."

The old witch nodded and swished her wand. Immediately, Bella was very suddenly wearing a gray, pleated skirt, black stockings and a black jumper... and now my dick was threatening to break out of my pants and poke her.

_Fuck my life..._

Jasper felt the spike of lust that shot through me and waggled his eyebrows, Emmett style.

"Which house are you in, dear?" she muttered, distracted as she altered the length of Bella's skirt.

"Gryffindor." Bella stated, proudly.

"Well the brave, dwell..." A male voice replied. I turned to the source of the distraction, to find a pale, blonde haired boy approaching my girl He was lazily eating an apple as he eyed my little witch. I recognised the boy from Harry's memories – his name was Draco Malfoy.

"So it's true, then? You're returning to Hogwarts. My Father told me that you would."

"_Obviously." _Bella sneered. I had never seen her act so rudely towards anyone before. Apparently, my family were shocked, too. Their thoughts all wanted to know who this child was. He spun to face us, showing no fear whatsoever and gave us all a bemused look.

"Vampires, Bella? Really?" He laughed.

"Death Eaters, Draco? Really?" She said, disgust laced every syllable. Draco blanched but recovered quickly. He opened his mouth to reply, but Bella held up her hand, halting his speech.

"Yes, yes. I know – Your _Father_ will hear about this. Run along then, Draco. Daddy is waiting." Bella stepped off the stool and turned away from a very flustered Draco. He strode from the shop and pushed past the Order. Sirius came running in.

"Bella are you ok? I didn't even know that he was in here." He fretted.

"I'm fine, dad. That slimly little git doesn't scare me." She answered succinctly.

The shop owner strode back into the room, hold red material this time. She had missed the entire exchange between my girl and Draco Malfoy.

"Up you go again, Isabella. Let's get you fitted for those Quidditch robes, shall we?"

Once again, she swished her wand and Bella's outfit changed. She was now wearing skin tight red trousers, to match her skin tight red jumper. She had a gold cloak around her neck which was tied together with a red rope at her neck.

"This is your mate, I presume?" The old witch asked, pointing towards me. Bella raised her eyebrow at the old lady, clearly wondering why she wanted to know. My sweet, protective witch.

"I only ask because I wondered if you would be taking his name, my dear. On your robes?" She pointed. "The mating connection is similar to human marriage, is it not?"

Bella glanced at me – apparently trying to ascertain what I wanted her to do. The possessive bastard in me clapped his hands at the thought of Bella having _my_ name on her Quidditch robes. It was an entirely involuntary reaction when my mouth opened;

"Cullen." I stuttered. Bella shook her head at me and turned back to the old witch, smiling.

"Masen."

_Isabella Masen..._ thinking about my human surname tacked onto the end of Bella's name released something intrinsically primal in me. I suppressed a growl as the old witch worked.

"All done, my dear." She said, smiling. Bella spun around and pulled up her hair. There, in front of me, was my little witch in her Quidditch robes, with the name 'Masen' emblazoned in foot tall, red lettering across her back.

"What do you think?" She asked. My mouth opened and closed, silently. I wanted to explain to her what it did to me- to see her wearing my name so _proudly_ – but I literally couldn't form the words. When I didn't answer her, she lowered her hair and turned round to face me. As soon as she saw my expression, she smiled and placed a small kiss on my lips. My family chuckled as she pulled me from the shop, still in a daze.

"What's wrong with Edward?" Dro asked in concern.

"Madam Malkin put Edwards surname onto Bella's Quidditch robes when she found out they were mated. I think he's still trying to process it." Alice giggled.

Everyone had a good laugh at my expense as I was pulled towards the next shop. I was dragged from my reverie, when Bella burst out laughing. I looked up to see what had her so amused and I flinched away from the brightness. Where all the other shops had their shutters half drawn as though preparing for an attack any second, _this_ shop seemed to be deliberately doing everything they could to draw attention to themselves. The shop was named 'Weasley's Wizard Wheezes'. I smiled when I realised that _this_ shop, belonged to Fred and George.

"They'll be murdered in their beds." Molly muttered angrily.

"I think it's _brilliant!"_ Bella crowed. I followed her line of sight to see what had her holding her stomach with laughter.

In the window, shone a luminous sign;

_Why are you worried about you-know-who? You should be worried about you-no-poo! _

_The constipation sensation that's gripping the Nation!_

I guffawed, loudly – much to Molly's displeasure. Only the twins could make light of such an awful situation. I tried to stifle my muffled laughter, for Molly's sake as Bella dragged me into the crowded store. Where all the other shops had been empty, the twins store was teeming with people. If I had thought that Bella's room was never still, I had obviously not factored in the twins. Shelf after shelf of magical goods displayed themselves proudly. Some items were yelling at the children to buy them, others were jumping into the baskets of unsuspecting parents. The entire thing was _genius!_

"Edward!" I turned to see Fred standing at the top of a flight of rickety old stairs. He waved me up, but with all the children, it was impossible to get to him. With my excess strength, I was terrified of hurting one of them – they were so _small._

"Jump, mate!" George bellowed. "It's the only way!"

Deciding, for once, to throw caution to the wind, I crouched, before launching myself twenty feet in the air and landing on one of the old ceiling beams. The children beneath me stopped what they were doing and cheered me loudly. I chuckled and bowed. They were still laughing and clapping at my performance. I scaled the beam and leapt from the edge onto the stairs where Fred and George were whooping at me. As I landed silently beside them, the children all fell silent;

"Edward Masen, boys and girls! He's our _Vampire_ friend..." He trailed off eerily.

They all ooh'ed and aah'ed. None of them displayed the appropriate level of fear, though. They all just seemed to think how 'cool' my jumping had been before continuing with their toy shopping.

"Guys – this shop is _incredible._" I crowed. "I don't know what any of it does, but still – it's amazing!"

They laughed and led me down the stairs, back into the crowd.

"Lets give you the tour, then, shall we?" George grinned.

It took an hour for them to lead me around the aisles. There was so much stuff and I, of course, wanted to know what everything did.

"This is the last of it." Fred gestured to a locked display cabinet.

"What is it?" I asked.

"We've just introduced a new line of rare Witches jewellery. There's everything in there, from cheap things that the kids will be able to buy, to antiques for the gents to give to their wives on Anniversaries and such."

"Can I take a look?" I asked. George shrugged and tapped his wand onto the cabinet, before walking over to a small boy who was stuffing canary creams into his pockets.

The cabinet opened and I was nearly blinded by the sheer amount of jewels that were placed in such an enclosed space. Some of the jewellery was obviously aimed at teenage witches – affordable things for impressionable young ladies. But some of it was exquisite. My eyes honed in on a sliver necklace. It was so delicate. The chain was actually two silver strings that wrapped around each other over and over again to make a rope. There were tiny diamonds placed intricately throughout the stunning piece.

I decided there and then that I would be leaving here with this for Bella today. I was her mate – she deserved to be lavished with beautiful things. It was stunning, but it wasn't very individual. Bella would appreciate it much more if I could just add that personal touch. My mind flitted briefly, to the diamond heart that had once belonged to my Mother. I tried to picture what the necklace would look like if I attached my Mother's heart to it.

_Perfect..._

"Fred? George?" They both came back over and I pointed to the necklace. "Are these for sale, yet?" I asked.

"They are. Why? Are you shopping for Bella?" George questioned.

"Yes. This," I pointed to the necklace, "I want this."

Fred pulled the chain from its confines and let me see it up close.

"Mate – I think it's only fair to warn you, that this necklace was handmade by _Goblins." _He handed me a small certificate. It had been made in 1803 by a goblin in France.

Bella had once told me that Goblin's crafted their own precious items. They were extremely rare and _extremely_ expensive.

"Unless you're a secret millionaire, Edward, you'll have to pick something else." Fred joked.

"Do you do gift wrapping?" I asked with my eyebrows raised.

They both stopped laughing, immediately. Serious expressions covered their faces.

"Edward – that necklace cost thirty thousand Galleons, mate. You're talking about _millions_ of muggle pounds."

"That's not a problem - will I need to go to Gringotts to access my vault? I'm not sure how this all works..." I tailed off uncertainly.

"You're serious." Fred said. The colour drained from his face and for the first time since I met him, he wasn't smiling.

"I am." I answered, honestly. "The money isn't a problem, I just don't know how we would complete the transaction..."

George seemed to recover first and pulled out a form from underneath the till.

"Gringotts wont release that sort of cash without some notice. If you fill out this form, the Goblins will instantly receive a matching copy of it. As soon as they approve that you have the funds in your account, the form will change colour. It's a magical contract. We'll collect the Galleons from Gringotts in a few days."

I nodded and picked up the quill to fill out the form. It was all very basic stuff – just confirmation of everything that was on my key card. I signed the bottom of the contract and handed it back to the twins, who were still ashen faced. A few seconds later, the white form glowed green, before folding itself neatly and landing on the table. George pushed the necklace towards me in a daze.

"George, mate." Fred said, in equal shock. "George, he's insane."

Fred just nodded his head – still not taking his eyes off of me. I chuckled at them. I hadn't realised that this would mean so much to them, financially. Sure, the Weasley's were not noted for their fortune, Bella had explained to me that they were actually quite poor... but Fred and George seemed to be well off. Their shop was teeming, the tills hadn't stopped ringing since I arrived...

Bella came running over and I slipped the necklace into my pocket, discreetly.

"Are you having fun?" She asked me as Fred and George each placed a protective kiss on her temple.

"This place is incredible," I vowed as I pulled her into my arms. She giggled into my neck and turned to face Fred and George.

"Your mum is on the warpath – she saw the 'you-no-poo' sign in the window. She's threatening to put you over her knee!" she giggled.

"Bloody hell – we should go and head her off before she really builds up a head of steam." George stated.

"After you, Georgie." Fred laughed. They each clapped me on the back and kissed Bella on the top of her head before running off.

"We should go – the Order are starting to worry. We've been in here for nearly two hours, now." She fretted. I didn't answer her verbally... I just slung her onto my back and jumped downstairs.

"_There_ you are!" Andromeda said. "I was starting to worry about you two. Come on, we need to head back. Sirius has been called into work."

Bella tightened her grip around my neck as we left the shop. Apparently I was carrying her – not that I minded in the slightest, especially after her tiring day, yesterday. All the way back to the Leaky Cauldron, Alice crowed, happily about her new belongings. Apparently she had decided to buy one of every item sold in Diagon Alley. I could just about make out Jasper, buried underneath at least thirty bags

I looked to my left and saw another road, leading off of this one. Bella hadn't shown me this one.

"Bella? What's down there?" I questioned.

"That's Knockturn Alley. We don't go there." She said simply.

"Why not?"

"No good ever came from going there. It's full of questionable people, Edward. There are shops – but I wouldn't buy anything from them. They all use dark magic, baby."

I grimaced. There was so much to learn – if Bella hadn't been here, I would have walked up that Alley and not known any different. The only way I was going to understand it all, was by giving it time – thankfully, we had eternity.


	19. New born Army

Later that evening, I snuck upstairs and crept over to the box of my Mother's old jewellery. I had very few memories of my Mother. Over time, they had dimmed and become grainy. I was like trying to watch something through a screen of smoke. I pulled out everything that Carlisle had saved for me and spread it out on the bed. There were necklaces, bracelets, earrings – all antique and precious to me. My fingers brushed across my Mothers wedding ring. I remembered this ring – and the way she would spin it round her finger... But now wasn't the time for proposals. I would marry her tomorrow, but I had some serious work to put in before I dared to ask her.

I quickly attached the small diamond heart to the centre of the Goblin-made necklace and placed it back in the antique box, hidden from Bella's sight.

_Edward? Dumbledore will be here in a moment._

I fled back downstairs after Carlisle's subtle reminder. Dumbledore had called an emergency meeting and no one knew why. The Order had all left work early, to be here. Whatever is going on, must be very important. Bella was waiting for me, her hand outstretched from her seat at the dining table. I sat down next to her and she instinctively curled in closer to me. Dumbledore strode into the room, looking worried.

"Good evening everyone and thank you for coming on such short notice." He muttered, quickly.

"I come to you with some rather troublesome news. I have just been informed by Mundungus Fletcher, that Tom Riddle has been recruiting again. Apparently, the news of Hogwarts reopening spooked him and he has retaliated, accordingly."

"But this is not news." Andromeda drawled. "We know he is recruiting."

Dumbledore shook his head, sadly. He drew in a deep breath before turning to Sirius.

"Did you have any luck with the Volturi?"

"No. They do not trust us. They have made it clear that they are not going to assist us in any way."

Albus sighed and stood up. He looked absolutely exhausted. Carlisle chose this moment to speak up.

"Albus? What is it that you want with the Volturi? Perhaps my family can help. I know the brothers personally."

Dumbledore's head shot up at impossible speed. "You know them? How?"

"I lived with them for a time, in Volterra. I only stayed with them for a few decades – our conflicting diets caused a few problems, but I remain friends with them to this day." Carlisle finished.

"But this is remarkable news!" Dumbledore beamed. "When Isabella was in America, with your coven – I asked her parents to visit your friends in Volterra. We tried to form a relationship with them in the hopes that they would assist us in the upcoming battle. However, they do not trust wand-carries easily. Sirius and Andromeda were not made to feel very welcome."

"I can believe that of Aro," Carlisle said quietly. "Protecting his empire is paramount to the Volturi. They would have seen you as a threat."

"Indeed," Dumbledore conceded. "However, it is paramount that they help us. Pivotal, in fact."

"What's going on, Dumbledore?" Dora asked.

The old man sighed and placed his fists on the table as he observed each of us.

"I have it, on the authority of Mundungus Fletcher, that Tom Riddle has created an Army... of Newborn Vampires."

The Order were silent for a moment, before shouts of disbelief rang throughout the grand room. Dumbledore waved his hands, trying to get everyone to settle down.

"Even though they are Vampires, the Volturi consider this to be a Wizarding problem. The creation of the Army may have been by the hand of a _Vampire, _ but it was orchestrated by a Wizard. As I understand it, his numbers grow, daily. There will be a few in our group who will posses the magical strength to destroy them. Sirius, Andromeda, Isabella – being supernatural, your magic is stronger than ours."

I recalled the day that Harry and Bella had tried to stupefy Emmett in the Garden at Forks. Harry's spell had barely moved him, but Bella's had sent him flying.

"The Cullen's will have the _physical_ strength, too. But that's all we have. My friends, I am at a loss. I sincerely do not know how to proceed from this point." He stated, sadly.

Carlisle stood up and we all turned to face him;

"Albus? I can travel to Volterra. The Volturi trust me – we are friends. They know that I respect their laws and would not be part of anything that could lead to their demise. Moreover, my son is mated to a witch. A common link, that joins our two worlds. Isabella could never betray Edward by harming the Volturi – it would damage their mating connection. They will know this."

Dumbledore nodded, frantically. "It is imperative that we have more man-power. I can try to locate other Vampires on my own, but I doubt any of them would want to assist us. The Volturi had a guard with three thousand years of experience in battle. We need their expertise."

"I will see what I can do." Carlisle agreed.

"Isabella? Edward?" Dumbledore summoned. "I must ask another favour of you, I'm afraid."

"What can we do?" I asked.

"Go with your Father to Volterra. Let them see that you are mated. Let them see that neither of you could betray the other. The Volturi need to know that we are not a threat to them – we merely seek their help."

"The potions?" Bella questioned.

"I shall keep an eye on them, Isabella." Snape offered. "The first batch have been brewed perfectly. They just need to mature. I shall bottle them when they are ready." He finished kindly.

"When shall we leave?" I looked to Carlisle for confirmation.

"Perhaps sooner would be better. For the first time in my immortal life, I seem to be running out of time." He chuckled, sadly.

The three of us rose from our seats – only to be stopped by Jasper.

"You are going alone? The Volturi are not to be tested." He spoke.

"We must not let them think that we seek to hurt them. If your entire coven shows up, it looks defensive." Dumbledore argued.

"Defensive or not, you are talking about sending my Father, Sister and Brother off to deal with the most dangerous coven of Vampires that has ever existed. It's not safe." He pressed.

"What would you suggest?"

"Emmett and I go with them. I will be able to influence their moods – keep everyone peaceable. Failing that, Emmett will be there to bulldoze us all to safety."

"What about us?" Alice gestured to the female Cullen's. "We can help, too."

"You're not going anywhere near that castle, Alice." Jasper replied.

"But Isabella – " she continued.

"Is a member of the Order of the Phoenix and has orders to follow. I don't want Bella to be near the Volturi either, but it's not my descision to make. I'm not allowed to keep my sister in London, so I will keep my sister safe in Volterra instead." He said with finality.

Pride swelled in my chest at my Brother's protective display. I heard in his mind, just how worried he was about having his 'baby sister' anywhere near those 'undead assholes'. I couldn't help the guffaw that left my lips. Jasper just threw a wink at me. Bella pulled out an empty pouch and cast an undetectable extension charm on it.

"Pack!" Various items belonging to each of us flew down the stairs and landed in her pouch, which she then concealed down the front of her dress.

Dro, and Sirius said their tearful goodbyes to Bella once again as we held onto the portkey that would take us straight to Volterra.

"At the first sign of trouble – incinerate the lot of them." William said.

"William, that is really not the temperament that we are looking for, here." Dumbledore said with a resigned sigh.

"I don't care. She can play nice as long as they do. But if any of them treat you with anything less than the respect you deserve, familiarise them with fiendfyre." He said in absolute seriousness.

The portkey glowed and we were unable to remove our fingers. We were going now, whether we wanted to or not. I smiled at Esme in reassurance just as we were whipped from the room.

_Volterra. Fuck my life._

We discarded the portkey and allowed Carlisle to lead us through the city, towards the castle. We flashed through the darkened streets far faster than any of the oblivious humans could see. The streets that surrounded the castle were ripe with the scent of Vampires – _lots_ of them. Carlisle gestured silently to a manhole cover on the floor.

"The main entrance to the castle will be closed at this hour. We will have to go through the sewers."

Emmett burst out laughing and Jasper slapped him round the back of the head. Rosalie was here in spirit, at least.

"Are you trying to draw attention to us you moron?" He seethed in a perfect imitation of my sister.

'_Carlisle's scent...'_I caught the tail end of a thought of one of the guard. They have picked up our scents and were heading this way.

"It doesn't matter, now Jasper. They know we're here. They caught Carlisle's scent. They will be here, momentarily."

No sooner than the words were out of my mouth, two Vampires jumped from the rooftop above us and landed soundlessly in the Alley.

"Carlisle? What are you doing?" The Vampire who spoke was twice the size of Emmett.

"Felix – it has been quite some time. I was actually hoping to seek council with the brothers."

"Of course." He uttered – his Italian accent was fluid, even now, as he spoke English. "Come – we shall access the castle through the sewers."

He lifted the cover and stepped back, allowing Bella to jump in first.

"After you, Miss." He said, politely.

Bella jumped into the darkness and landed delicately in the sewer thirty feet below. Demitri raised his eyebrow at Carlisle. "A hybrid?" He questioned.

"Half Vampire, half Veela. She is Edward's mate." Demitri nodded, but seemed uncomfortable.

We all followed Bella into the sewer and allowed Felix to lead us through the maze towards the castle. It did not escape my notice that the closer we got, the colder it became.

_A bad omen of things to come?_

Felix jumped and pushed aside a grate that covered a hole in the ceiling of the sewer. We trailed, dutifully after him and ended up in a small stone room. We were in the castle. Two huge oak doors lay ahead of us and I knew we were being taken to the throne room. Aro must have been informed of Carlisle's impending visit, for I doubt anyone else would have been seen by the brothers so quickly.

The doors swung open and we filed inside. Seated on a low stage at the back of the room, sat Aro, Marcus and Caius. Felix approached Aro and held his hand out, showing Aro his innermost secret.

"Thank you, Felix." Aro praised his servant. "Carlisle! To what do we owe such a pleasure?"

Carlisle merely smiled and held his hand out to Aro, who grasped it greedily. I watch as Aro flicked through Carlisle's memories of everything that had occurred since he had left Volterra.Aro reached the memories of our introduction to Bella and paused, his gaze falling on my mate. He read every conversation, every thought leading up to our meeting tonight with Dumbledore. Eventually, he sighed and dropped Carlisle's hand.

"What is it, Aro?" Caius demanded. "What brought Carlisle here at this hour?"

"Relax, brother." Aro replied. "Carlisle remains loyal to us after all these years. I've seen it. He and his coven are allies. You remember of course the witch and the wizard who sought our help last week?" The brothers and the guard nodded, obediently. "Well, this beautiful, young Veela is their _daughter." _He crowed, happily.

The guard stiffened once more, all fearful of my mate.

"She is mated to our dear Edward and poses no threat. I have seen her interactions with this coven. She protects them _and_ our laws."

The guard relaxed, once more. They had been ready to sink into a hunting crouch at a moments notice, but now, were happy to listen to Aro as he spoke. Bella let go of my hand and stepped forward, turning to the guard.

"Excuse me? I realise that this is completely off the subject matter – but you wouldn't happen to be the Valencia twins, would you?" She asked politely.

Jane and Alec looked to their Masters for permission to answer. Aro nodded, intrigued by my little witch.

"Yes." Jane answered. "Why do you ask?" She was not hostile towards Bella in any way. She seemed merely curious by my girl.

"I'm returning to Hogwarts in two weeks. I just wanted to be able to say that I had met the twins responsible for the vanishing step on the seventh floor." She chuckled.

Jane and Alec looked at each other before collapsing in hysterics.

"It's still there?" Alec gasped between laughter.

"Oh yes – it's there," my witch giggled. "Even with perfect recall, I lost my foot to that step several times in my first year."

The trio laughed, oblivious to their confused crowd. Caius chose that moment to speak up.

"Which step is this?" He asked. He himself had attended Hogwarts in his human years many centuries ago, but had lost a fight with Aro, who changed him into a Vampire. Bella turned to him and held out her hand, politely. Caius took it and kissed it, displaying complete gentlemanly respect.

"Do you remember the stairwell that leads to the astronomy tower?" Bella asked the youngest brother.

Caius nodded and urged her to continue.

"Well, according to legend, Jane and Alec were quite naughty during their time at Hogwarts. They created a step, leading to the Astronomy Tower, which vanishes when you step on it. You fall through the floor!" She giggled.

"After a few centuries, the teachers stopped trying to remove it. They said it deserved to stay. It was listed in 'Hogwarts; A History', as one of the notable historical pieces on the school."

Caius turned to the twins and raised his eyebrow at them; "Is this true?"

"Yes, Master." They replied in unison, still smiling. Caius appraised them and I couldn't help but notice the corner of his mouth, lift into a smirk.

How does Bella _do_ that? Every single person she meets loves her, irrevocably. Caius was one of the biggest assholes you would ever meet, yet after two minutes in Bella's presence, he's _smiling!_

"What is your name, little one?" He asked my mate.

"Isabella, Sir. Isabella Black." He nodded and strode over to Bella, where he circled her – looking her over all the while.

"You said that you were returning to school? Which year will you be in?"

"I'm entering my final year, Sir. Although, I am actually attending to assist the Order of the Phoenix – not to gain my N.E.W.T's."

"Why would you want newts?" Emmett asked.

Caius stopped his examination of my mate and turned to Emmett;

"She is not referring to the reptile, child. She speaks of the qualifications you receive when you leave Hogwarts. All seventh year students sit 'Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests'. Your results from these examinations affect which careers you are able to pursue."

"Oh." Emmett shrugged, uninterested, once more.

"How did you fare in your O.W.L's?" Caius persisted.

I saw Emmett open his mouth again and I knew that he was planning to ask what they were, but I held my hand up to stop him. Caius seemed to be bonding with Bella – and that was exactly what we needed.

"Fairly well, Sir. I was graded ten Outstanding's – although it is a little unfair to the other students. I have perfect recall."

Caius merely nodded and pursed his lips, seemingly confused by something.

"What I don't understand, is why you didn't attend Beauxbaton Academy?" He questioned.

"With respect - the less I have to do with that school, the better. I have no intention of _charming_ my way through life, Sir. I sought a magical education – not an invitation to attend a school specialising in seduction and cosmetics."

Caius laughed, loudly. I could tell from his thoughts, that he found my little witch to be a complete conundrum. He had met Andromeda last week and was unimpressed. Apparently, Dro had thought her presence at Volterra to be beneath her. But Bella? She was respectful to a fault. She had called him 'Sir' and asked permission to converse with the twins... he found her to be utterly perplexing.

_Good girl._

"I think you're probably right, Isabella." He conceded, finally.

"Well," Aro said as he determinedly drew his attention back to himself, "perhaps we should arrange for your quarters to be prepared if you are planning to stay for a few days."

"Thank you, Aro. That would be most welcome." Carlisle answered.

"Not a problem, my old friend. Although, you haven't brought any belongings with you?" He questioned.

"Actually Aro, Bella has packed everything we need." My little witch pulled her velvet pouch out of her dress and waved it at Aro.

"I wont ask. Perhaps my brother will explain it to me later." He smiled.

We followed Felix out of the chamber, towards the living quarters. He assigned us a large common room, which had just one bed dominating the space, entirely. We thanked him, profusely and waited for him to leave.

"Muffliato." Bella murmured, before collapsing on the bed and falling into a deep sleep, instantly.

"Well," Carlisle began, "that went better than expected." He smiled. "Unless they were thinking more than they were saying?" He questioned me.

"Actually, no." I admitted. "They seemed genuinely pleased to see you, Carlisle – Aro, especially. But then of course they met my Bella..."

"Ah yes, I noticed that. She seems to have won them over already." Carlisle chuckled, fondly.

We all looked over at Isabella, simultaneously. I wasn't the only member of the family who wondered how she did it. Every single person she met, fell in love with her. Not romantically, of course – but they still couldn't help themselves from feeling affection for her.

She shifted in her sleep, wrinkling her nose, adorably.

"She's so _small."_ Emmett noted. His thoughts betrayed how vulnerable she looked when she slept.

"It amazes me that she's able to sleep at all. She just wandered into Volterra, introduced herself to the most dangerous coven of Vampires in existence and then just... took a nap." Jasper inserted.

"She says she feels safe with us," I murmured. "She knows we wont let anyone hurt her."

"Too fucking right we wont." Emmett swore. He meant it, too.

"So how do we proceed? They know why we're here, but they didn't even bring it up." Jasper asked.

"The brothers do not make rash decisions, Jasper. I imagine that they just want to get to know you all a little better." Carlisle answered him.

I tuned them out after that – opting instead to watch Bella sleep. Emmett was right – she trusted me to keep her safe while she rested. I would never betray that trust.


	20. Training with Caius

**AN: Are you still with me? 800 views in less than a day! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this story so far! You keep reading, I'll keep uploading. Reviews would be appreciated, too! - thepinkcupcake.**

* * *

A few hours later, Bella stirred. "How long was I out?" She asked no one in particular.

"Just a couple of hours Darlin'. You didn't miss anything." Jasper answered her, quietly.

She climbed out of bed and walked over to the closet where she changed her dress for an evening gown.

_She looks radiant._

"I'm going to talk to the brothers again." She informed us before slipping out the door. The three of us looked at each other in a panic. She just went off on her own! We were all in varying states of undress and rushed to dress and follow after her. What was she _thinking?_ Doesn't she realise how dangerous the Volturi are? I flashed after her, trying to track her scent, with my brothers and father running after me. Her trail led into the Volturi library. It was much less formal than the stone room had been earlier, but it was colossal in size, comparatively. I could see her speaking to Caius as I walked into the room and sat in one of the empty armchairs.

"I have just about mastered non-verbal spells. I want to have a go at wandless magic next." She informed him.

"But that is very advanced magic, my dear. Only a handful of wizards have ever achieved it. Even then, they can only manage simple spells."

Bella merely shrugged and curled up in her own armchair. "I need to work on my offensive spells before I do anything else."

"What specifically do you find troubling?" Caius probed.

"I can perform defensive spells quite easily – but my wand just wont cooperate when I want to attack rather than defend. It's a concern of mine. I need to be able to fight in the battle that's coming. There will only be a handful of people there who are actually able to fight the newborn Vampires and I'm one of them. Normal wizards aren't strong enough." She trailed off.

Caius stepped over to his collection of wizarding books and pulled one off the shelf. His two brothers eyed the pair with interest.

"So your Father only taught you defensive magic? He never showed you how to fight back?" He questioned.

"He's an Auror, Sir. Our family leans away from anything that could be considered 'dark magic'. His job depends on it." She explained.

A human, named Gianna, walked into the room and laid a tray of food in front of Bella before walking straight back out again, displaying no fear whatsoever. Bella multiplied the food to offer enough for everyone, before casting the Edilis spell on it – making it edible for any who wanted to try it. Once the spell was cast, the Brothers and the full guard whipped their heads towards the trays of food. Having seen this before countless times, Emmett walked over to Bella, pulled her into his lap and began eating pasta off of her tray. The Vampires in the room watched him in fascination.

"It's good." He muttered around a mouthful of food.

Aro and Marcus were obviously questioning his sanity – and were even more shocked when Caius leant in towards Bella;

"May I?" He gestured towards the overflowing plates.

"Yes, of course. You're very welcome to help yourself." My sweetheart answered. She carried on reading the book that Caius had given her moments before. Caius loaded a plate, with the Volturi watching him as though he had lost his mind. They actually held their breath when he raised the fork to his mouth. I distinctly heard him groan around his mouthful.

"Caius?" Aro questioned. "What on Earth are you doing?" Caius finished his mouthful before turning to his Sire.

"It's called the Edilis spell. Isabella has transfigured the food so that we can eat it. Here," Caius offered, "try some." He held out his fork to Aro, who approached it as though it might attack him at any moment. After several moments of deliberation, he raised the fork to his nose and inhaled.

"It smells... _nice?"_ He muttered in confusion.

"It tastes even better." Caius groaned, unashamedly. Emmett finally noticed what was going on and decided to throw in his opinion.

"She's not trying to poison you, Aro. Her mate is eating the same food. She wouldn't feed it to her mate unless it was edible." He laughed. Aro chuckled and shook his head.

"This is madness," he murmured before lifting the fork to his lips. He took a tentative lick before allowing the food to enter his mouth. We lost him after that. I remembered how I felt the first time Bella fed _me. _My expression was not dissimilar to Aro's.

"This is incredible!" He chuckled, happily. "Come," he ordered his guard, "you must try this."

Alec and Jane had obviously seen the spell before and loaded their own plate without any fuss... eventually after watching the twins for a few moments, the rest of the guard seemed to find the courage to try it, too. No one spoke after that. Though anyone who walked past the library, would certainly have assumed that there was an orgy occurring in here. All I could hear was whimpering and moans. Bella eventually reminded them all that their stomachs could only hold so much food and that if they continued, they would be sick. The guard actually _thanked_ Isabella for the food _and_ the warning, before returning to their posts with extremely satisfied, if not disbelieving smiles on each of their faces. Bella cleared the plates with a swish of her wand and Caius returned his attention to her.

"Your technique with wand work is perfect. I imagine that we will have no trouble teaching you a few useful hexes to use against the Newborn Army." He offered.

"You will help me?" She questioned, uncertainly.

"I will do my very best." He replied. "It's nice to be around magic again."

She thanked him profusely and they began their work. When they eventually found a spell that looked promising, they decided to practice, only to have Aro jump in front of them, ordering them to the throne room.

"Some of these books date back to the dawn of written word. Do not destroy them! Throne room! Now!" He said, worriedly.

Bella and Caius flashed out of the room, chuckling at Aro the entire way. We all ran after them – and I do mean _all _of us... the Volturi guard were endlessly excited by seeing this. Even Aro and Marcus followed after them.

"Right," Caius began, "this spell is the Vampire equivalent of 'Stupefy'."

"Hang on," Emmett interrupted, "Stupefy _works_ on Vampires. Bella has used it on me before!" He exclaimed. Caius turned to Bella for confirmation.

"Look, We'll show you." Emmett stated. He ran to the opposite end of the room and sank into a hunting crouch.

"Err... Emmett?" Felix questioned. "Are you sure you want her to point her wand at you?" He said uncertainly. Emmett clearly didn't understand what the problem was.

"Sure. Why not? She's my baby sister. She wont hurt me." He answered with a shrug.

Bella raised her wand and spun in a delicate arch before yelling ; "Stupefy!"

The familiar red glow shot from the end of her wand and hit Emmett squarely in the chest. He flew through the air at immense sped and crashed through the wall behind him. The Volturi gasped and turned to Bella to see if that's what she meant to do. They needn't have worried though. Two seconds later, Emmett came bounding through the wall with a shit-eating grin on his face.

"That was fucking awesome, Bella. I go further every time you do it!" He laughed. Bella just shrugged and lazily repaired the hole in the wall with a flick or her wand.

"Isabella?" Caius questioned. "_That_ spell should _not_ be effective against a Vampire... and I have absolutely no idea how you did it."

"Me either." She chuckled. "What else can we try?"

* * *

Several hours later, Caius had taught Bella eight other spells that she could use to attack the Army of Newborns. She had struggled with the technique at first, but Caius rearranged her wrist or the grip on her wand and she picked it up easily. The guard were still watching on in admiration as Caius explained what they were doing.

"You must understand that just _one_ of these spells normally takes a witch _months_ to learn. Isabella has just mastered _eight_ of them in three hours. You really are an exceptional young witch, Isabella." He complimented her, politely.

The brothers and the guard were absolutely nothing like I had expected. Carlisle had always told us that they were fair – that they studied the arts and enjoyed history. But I had always had my doubts. They were the keepers of our world. They were renowned for destroying entire covens without so much as a warning. But then I realised that as far as Aro is concerned, we were loyal to a fault. Bella wiped his memory every time he touched one of us and saw something he shouldn't. She was only letting him see the good things - things that would endear him to consider us friends.

I continued to watch my little witch as she received a more _offensive_ magical education. My eyes only left her when I noticed Marcus approach me, quietly. Quiet was the operative word. He hadn't spoken once since we arrived.

"She's charming, Edward." He murmured in a whispery voice.

"Thank you, Marcus. I agree." I remembered to stay polite. Marcus may be quiet, but I imagine that he could be equally vicious when he needed to.

"You have an interesting connection to your mate. It's fascinating to observe." He uttered.

"I'm sorry," I apologised, "I'm not sure that I follow you..."

"My gift, dear boy." He whispered, "It allows me to observe the strength of relationships, if you will. You are a mind reader?" He asked for confirmation.

"Yes, Sir."

"Take a look at what I see, if you will." He urged.

I allowed myself to probe his mind and saw through the eyes of one of the oldest Vampires in existence. Marcus carefully observed the twins – although he did not see the as I did. As they stood there, watching my Bella, think purple vines twisted around them, linking them together.

"Sibling affection." He murmured.

He averted his gaze and observed Demitri and Heidi. Thick yellow vines linked them together.

"The mating connection." He continued.

He then studied myself and Bella. _Gold_ ribbons linked us, everywhere. Thousands of tiny strings connected us from our heads to our toes. When she moved, the ribbons twisted to follow her. The further away she stood, the tighter the ribbons were pulled.

"You see what intrigues me? Your connection is very dissimilar to anything I've seen before. You are like magnets. Most ties accommodate – adapt – when one of the pair moves... but yours seem strained... almost as though they will snap, should you stand too far apart." He stated with uncertainty.

"When Bella and I first mated, I had the same questions that you do now. I spoke to her Father, who is also mated to a Veela and he explained that I am experiencing typical side effects of a hybrid pair." I answered.

"Do you feel any pain when you are apart?"

"Yes, Sir. Immense pain... and weakness." I replied.

"You would do well not to ignore that feeling, young Edward. Your connection literally _strains_ every time you move away from each other. If I may make a suggestion?"

"Of course..."

"Do not leave her side. Not for a moment. Keep her and protect her... always."

He moved away from my side, then and took his seat back on his throne. His mind became a haze as he sat in silence, carefully observing my little witch. I turned my attention back to Bella, who was still being directed by Caius. Jane interrupted their practise session, politely.

"Master?" She probed.

"Yes, Jane?"

"Have you thought of the dismemberment hex? Sectumsempra?" she asked, a little too eagerly.

"Bella," Emmett interjected, "I love you, but if you cut off my junk, Rosie is going to flip her shit!" he said, worriedly, cupping his manhood.

"It's okay, Emmett." Bella soothed. Emmett looked _massively_ relieved. "It will stick back on." She giggled.

She raised her wand and aimed it at Emmett's groin. "Wibbly –wobbly, higgledy-piggledy!"

Emmett screamed and ran from the room, still holding his dick in his hand. The entire guard literally dropped to the floor in hysterics as Emmett crashed his way through the walls of the castle.

"Isabella?" Felix guffawed, "I think you may have just literally scared the immortally frozen _piss_ out of him!"

We were all still howling with laughter when a few moments later, a rather stern looking vampire strode into the room, holding a very repentant looking Emmett, by the ear.

"Aro? Does _this_ belong to you?" She gestured towards our big lug of a brother.

"Yes my dear." He chuckled. "Forgive me. We were conducting an experiment."

"Well would you mind not conducting experiments that involve this man mountain crashing into our private quarters and hiding under our antique bed?" she seethed.

This only made us all laugh harder. Emmett did _not _ look impressed.

"Forgive us, my love. We are all a little excited – we have a Veela staying in the castle." He smiled.

"Have you lost use of your senses, Aro? A Veela could end us all." She stammered.

"I'm not a threat to you." My Bella whispered. "I came here to ask for help from your mate." She trailed off, quietly.

Sulpicia flinched slightly when she saw Bella. Her mind betrayed the fact that Bella wasn't what she had been expecting when she heard Aro say that there was a Veela, here. She had a similar train of thought to Caius, when he first met my mate. The Volturi had expected a warrior, not a sweet teenager in a pretty dress.

"Help with what, little one?" Sulpicia couldn't help but speak to my Bella as though she were fragile. With just one smile, Bella had won the suspicious Vampire over.

"My name is Isabella Black and I am a member of the Order of the Phoenix. We are readying ourselves for battle. He-who-must-not-be-named is doing the same. We have just heard news that he has ordered the creation of an army of newborn Vampires. My people are _human, _ma'am. They cannot fight what they cannot catch. It's a death sentence. If we don't seek help, we will lose and Tom Riddle will rise to power." She finished, sadly.

"How old are you, Isabella?"

"I have recently celebrated my 17th Birthday, Ma'am."

"But you're just a baby..." she whispered. "You are expected to fight?"

"No, Ma'am. Although I am young, I have supernatural speed and strength. I'm one of the few who _can_ fight Vampires. They need me..." she finished with finality.

"Aro?" Sulpicia questioned.

"Yes my dear?" he answered, worriedly.

"When will you send out the guard?" She replied. Her tone was strict and severe.

"My dear," Aro stammered, "A _wizard_ created the vampires... surely it should be a _wizard_ who –"

"_Aro!" _she shouted, unnecessarily, "When are you sending out the guard?"

"Err... right away, my love." He answered in a rush. "Felix, Demitri? Assemble a team."

The guard snapped to attention and fled off, following their orders. Sulpicia winked at Bella and left the room, too.

Jasper turned to my mate and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Mischievousness is rolling off of you in waves, darlin'. You did that on purpose!" He chuckled.

Bella huffed and blushed brilliantly. "He may be one of the most respected and dangerous people in the world, but lets be honest – he's just as pussy whipped as the rest of you." She huffed before storming off, adorably.

"It was all a set up?" Carlisle questioned, disbelievingly.

"Yes." Jasper replied. "She's felt nothing but calculating trickery and deception since we arrived here. She planned the whole thing. Even down to threatening Emmett with his manhood." He chuckled as we approached our quarters.

"Why did she do that?" Emmett asked, oblivious.

"Because she knew what you would do. She relied on your reaction to bring the wives down from the tower - they never leave. Bella knew that as soon as Sulpicia heard her story and saw her pout, the Vampire would be as powerless to resist her innocent charms as the rest of us."

"Incredible." Carlisle murmured.

We slipped into the room where Bella lay sleeping and stared at her. My baby witch had the Volturi wrapped around her tiny fingers.

"Edward?" Emmett asked quietly. "We're going to have our hands full with this one." He chuckled.

I nodded my head. Forever didn't seem quite so long, when you were spending it with Bella.


	21. Term time

A few hours later and we had said our goodbyes to the Volturi. We had achieved what we had set out to do, thanks entirely to Bella – we were able to return home. Bella shocked the entire room when she hugged the three Brothers. It wasn't tentative or timid, she literally threw her arms around their waists one at a time and squeezed – she then rounded on the guard and placed her tiny hands on her hips.

"Be careful." She commanded. "I realise that you are all entirely ancient and badass, but watch your backs. There are snatchers _everywhere._ If they caught a member of the Volturi guard..." she trailed off, worriedly. "On second thought." She murmured, distractedly. She pulled out her velvet pouch and waved her wand at it. A small mirror floated out and she handed it to Caius.

"Do you know what this is?" She questioned.

"A two-way mirror?" He said, examining the item.

"I have the matching piece. If you or and of your family ever need the help of the Order of the Phoenix, please contact me. Our people owe you." She stated respectfully.

He observed Bella, momentarily, before pocketing them small mirror.

"This shall not be the last time we see you, I hope?" He smiled.

"Definitely not." Bella answered assertively. "I'm going to need at least a week to rifle through your library."

The brothers chuckled. "You would be very welcome, my dear." Aro smiled.

Our port key glowed and we each placed a finger on it. Bella quickly hugged Jane and Alec before we were pulled from the castle. Just _moments_ later, our feet landed just outside of the fidelius charm, protecting Black manor.

"Oh!" Bella exclaimed, "Mama made apple pie!" That was all we got from her as she ran towards the house, giggling all the way.

"They're never going to believe us, you know." Jasper stated as we followed Bella.

"About what?" Emmett questioned.

"That Bella, the little girl in the dress, who just ran off for some apple pie, is the same Veela who outsmarted the Volturi." He chuckled.

We walked into the dining room to find the Order already assembled. Once everyone had been reunited, Dumbledore stood and turned to Carlisle.

"You were not even gone a day." He said, quietly. "Would they not even see you?"

"Oh they saw us, alright. It's all taken care of, Albus. They have sent their guard to deal with the Newborns." Carlisle answered.

"Carlisle, are you certain?" Dumbledore pressed, urgently.

"Oh yes. We watched them prepare themselves for battle. They should be on their way to England as we speak."

Dumbledore flumped into his chair and let out a massive sigh. "My dear man, how on Earth did you manage it? They refused to even _see_ any of the Order after Sirius left last week."

"Bella." Emmett, Jasper and Carlisle answered, simultaneously.

Every head in the room swivelled towards Isabella, who was eating her apple pie, absolutely oblivious to the world.

"Sweetheart?" I called. Her head snapped up, spoon still in her mouth.

"Yeah? What did I miss?" she said, with her mouth full. I couldn't help but laugh at her. Her itinerary for the day went something like this; Befriend the Volturi. _Check_. Save the world. _Check_. Eat apple pie. _Check_.

"Isabella? The Cullen's said that it was _you_ who persuaded the Volturi to act?" Dumbledore pressed.

"Technically, I didn't persuade Aro to do anything..." she trailed off.

"No – but you did tell his _wife, _who took one look at your innocent face and sent him packing." Emmett crowed, joyously.

"I'm confused..." Fred stated.

So the next twenty minutes were spent retelling our adventure in Volterra. Jasper informed the order that he had felt waves of mischievousness and cunning roll off Bella ever since we stepped into the castle. He told them all how she sent Emmett running through the castle, clutching his junk in order to bring the wives down from the tower. He informed them of the power of Bella's adorable pout and the effects it has, even on the most terrifying of Vampires. By the end of the story, the entire were were _crying_ with laughter.

"But she told his _wife!_" Emmett complained. "So far below the belt!"

"I'm trying to save a Nation, Emmett." Bella huffed. "I have no scruples!"

"Isabella, if the Ministry do not erect a shrine in your honour after the war, I shall resign!" William laughed.

"They can keep their shrine – I only joined the Order to get on the chocolate frog cards." She giggled.

Eventually, we all clamed down and Dumbledore was able to continue.

"But this is excellent new, my friends. Now we may continue with our lives in relative peace until the Battle."

The meeting trailed off after that. Many of the Order went to their own homes, but some stayed at Black Manor. I pulled Bella upstairs, wanting to spend some time alone with my little witch.

* * *

The next two weeks passed quietly. Bella would be returning to Hogwarts, today and my family would be part of the guard that protected the school. Dumbledore and the ministry wanted constant patrols in case Voldemort decided to attack without warning. I watched as Bella packed her things into her trunk – I was actually able to name everything that went in there, now. She raced into her closet and slipped on her school uniform.

_So fucking sexy. She's every males wet dream..._

This thought pulled me up short. Bella was going to be living full time with hundreds of unmated males. The thought sent an unpleasant shiver down my spine. I still struggled with the males in the _Order._ Hundreds of nameless, horny teenage boys was going to be _much_ worse.

"Sweetheart?" Bella called me. "What's wrong, baby?"

"I just – with all the excitement, it didn't occur to me that you would be around so many unmated males. The idea makes me... _nervous." _I edited. The idea actually made me want to flip my shit and start a massacre... She stared at me, analyzing my face. She clearly knew that I was editing how I _really_ felt about this. She knew me far too well.

"Let me talk to Professor Dumbledore. I'm not actually a student this year. He may allow us to sleep in the chamber that Snape prepared for me in the dungeon. Would that be better?" she whispered.

That was actually _much _better. I would be able to keep an eye on her throughout the day, as I would be hoarding the school, but I wasn't allowed in the Gryffindor common room.

"Do you mind?" I felt ridiculous asking her to do this, but the Vampire in me was snapping his teeth at the thought of her being around other men.

"No, baby. I'll ask Dad to talk to him. I'll be in the dungeon most nights anyway_. _Those health potions wont stir themselves."

I nodded and gripped her firmly to me. I knew I was being absurd. She loved me just as much as I loved her. The human in me _knew_ that she wouldn't look at another man... but I'm not human. Feral thoughts swam through my head as I held her. I wanted to mark her – to bite her and leave my scar on her neck for all those little fucks to see. I wanted my scent to smother her, so that even the _humans_ could smell it. I was trying to suppress my growl at these horrid thoughts, when a new idea popped into my head.

"Bella? I have something – something I want you to have..."

_Not like this. Not because you're jealous..._

I pulled out the jewellery box that I had bought from Fred and George and handed it to Bella.

"Open it." I commanded, softly.

_You sick bastard. You've turned a romantic gesture into a marking ceremony. You can't bite her, so you want your chain around her neck... a __leash__ around her neck. _

I shook off my inner monologue and watched her face morph into shock when she pried open the lid.

"I saw this chain and wanted you to have it... the diamond heart belonged to my Mother... I thought that they would go well together..." I trailed off.

"Edward," she gasped, "It's so _beautiful..."_

"I just wanted you to have something special to mark the occasion. A good luck charm for school..."

_Liar. _

"Will you help me put it on?" She grinned. She lifted her hair and I fastened the clasp around her neck, securely – where it will hopefully stay for the rest of eternity.

"It's beautiful, sweetheart. Thank you _so_ much." She cried.

I felt ashamed of myself. My sweet girl thought that this was something I had _planned._ That I had bought this necklace specifically to give to her this morning. She had no idea... I had planned a romantic evening for a few weeks time. She had no idea that she was mated to such an overbearing asshole, that he needed to mark her before he would let her out of his sight.

"You're welcome, love." I murmured, quietly... suddenly extremely ashamed of myself. "Come on, lets get you downstairs. Your family will want to say goodbye."

When we entered the kitchen, both of our families and most of the Order had congregated to wish Bella, Fred and George good luck.

"Oh my baby! I can't believe that this is your last year at Hogwarts." Dro wailed.

She pulled back from Bella and spotted the necklace, which hung indiscreetly around Bella's neck.

"What is this, honey? It's beautiful." She crowed.

"My Edward just gave it to me." Bella grinned.

Sirius and William glanced at me, both raising one eyebrow simultaneously. They were not stupid. They knew _exactly_ why I had given that necklace to Isabella. They both shook their heads and smiled. _Like father like son..._

After another ten minutes of watery farewells, Bella stepped into the fireplace. She threw a handful of powder into the flames and said;

"Hogwarts."

Dro lasted until her daughter was out of sight before she broke down in tears. Sirius swept her up in his arms and comforted her as best he could.

"She'll be fine, Dro. The Order are going to be at the school... not to mention, _Edward. _She'll be the safest student there." He coddled.

She nodded and turned to me; "You keep my baby safe, Edward. I'm trusting you." She ordered, sternly.

"Yes, Ma'am. You have my word." I vowed. She nodded and turned to walk away.

Eventually, I pried myself free from the grasp of the women and stepped into the fireplace. I picked up a handful of Floo Powder before anyone could grab me again and yelled;

"Hogwarts!"

I heard their disbelieving laughter as I sped off down the Floo network. I knew that my family and the Order wouldn't be far behind me. When I finally stopped spinning, I stepped out of the fireplace and walked into Dumbledore's office. The same two guards approached me. I knew what to do this time, so I reached into my pocket and pulled out my key card.

"Don't worry, Gentlemen. I shall deal with Mr. Masen." Dumbledore said as he walked towards me with his wand drawn.

"Edward, your mate has but one desire after the war is over. What is it?" He questioned. I laughed when I realised that he was trying to trip me up. Everyone who knew Bella knew that she wanted to be an Auror.

"She wants her face on the chocolate frog cards." I said, still laughing.

"Quite right," Dumbledore smiled, "I've not doubt that she will get her wish. Isabella has already gone down to the great hall. I have to head down now, but if you wait for your family, you will be able to show them the way. It is their first time in the castle, after all."

A few minutes later, the rest of the coven arrived, looking a little dishevelled. They straightened their clothing before following me down the spiral staircase. I noted their confusion when we reached the dead end at the bottom. I had been equally as confused.

"Chocolate Frogs," I muttered, distractedly. The familiar wall split into two and we stepped out into the corridor.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," I smiled. I watched as my family crowed over every little thing. I didn't have time to give them a tour, but I pointed out various things of interest on the way down to the great hall.

When we reached the doors, which were being guarded by the Order, Dora and Kingsley steeped aside to let us through. The Great Hall looked not dissimilar to my previous visit – apart from the few hundred students that lined table after table as they ate their dinner. Eventually, they cleared their plates and Dumbledore stood.

"To our new students," he boomed, "Welcome! To our familiar faces, welcome back!" His greeting was met with a _thundering_ reply. The students all stood and cheered at the top of their lungs. I realised, in that moment, just how much it meant to these children, to be allowed to return to this castle. It was not a _school_... it was a second _home._

"It _thrills_ me to see you all so excited to be here. We have fought, tirelessly to bring you all home. However, I must make a few announcement, so if you will all please take your seats..."

While Dumbledore waited for the students to sit back down, I honed in on the thoughts of my family. They were all simply awed. They seemed to struggle to connect Dumbledore, the leader of the Order of the Phoenix, to the friendly headmaster who held every single child's attention. The level of respect they showed the old man was immense.

"Very good." He said. "Now – as you are all aware, we are entering dark times in magical history and for that reason, the Ministry have seen fit to employ a guard to keep you all safe. This guard is comprised of Aurors and Dementors, students and Vampires. We have sought the very best people to keep you safe. Now, I do not wish for any of you to panic. Your time here at Hogwarts should be nothing but pleasant. The guard are here merely as a precaution. However, I think it would be best if I introduced you to them, personally." He added. He pointed his wand at his throat and it was as though he were speaking into a microphone.

"Could all members of the guard please make their way to the Great Hall." His voice boomed.

The doors swung open to reveal Ministry officials and Order members, who all walked towards the stage.

"Come on," Dora laughed, "He means you, too." She gestured to us. We followed her, obediently and stood in the long line which had formed at the front of the stage.

"Excellent." Dumbledore smiled, "Now, the first ten people here are Ministry officials. The Minister for Magic has chosen them specifically. You will not see them around the castle – their job is to patrol the grounds, outside."

The Ministry officials stepped down and went back to their posts – the only people who remained were members of the Order;

"Here we have Nymphadora Lupin and for those who did not have him as their Defence teacher a few years ago, Remus Lupin. Again, for those who don't remember, this is Alistair Moody. He also taught Defence a few years ago." Dumbledore said with a chuckle.

"Of course, I _know_ that you are all familiar with Fred and George Weasley?" His questioned was met with a thundering applause. "They have kindly consented to return to Hogwarts this year, purely to protect you all."

"I've no doubt at all that you all remember Isabella Black, too?" He grinned. Bella was met with equally loud applause, but also – the entire male population of the school decided to shout out cat calls and wolf whistle. I very nearly broke a few necks.

"Alright, settle down. Isabella will be taking very few classes this year – but she has agreed to use her supernatural abilities to keep you all safe." The cheers and whistles only got louder and I was _so_ close to losing my shit and killing a few of these runts to set an example.

"You may wish to discontinue your current line of thought, gentlemen, because standing next to Miss Black, is Isabella's _mate, _Edward Masen... who just so happens to be a _Vampire._"

Almost immediately, the boys sat down again and tried desperately not to be seen.

"His family have accompanied him to Hogwarts. We have Alice Whitlock and her mate Jasper. Then there is Emmett McCarty and his mate Rosalie and lastly, we have Carlisle Cullen and his mate Esme. This coven of Vampires are selflessly using their lives to protect your own. You would do well to remember that." He said seriously.

"Should you see or hear of anything remotely suspicious, I _implore_ you to talk to the staff, or a member of the guard. We will not bite, nor shall you be in any trouble. If you are not comfortable talking to us, please visit Isabella, who has an office situated in Dungeon three. She will be only too happy to help."

Bella smiled at everyone, reassuringly. You could see how sincere she was – none of the children could doubt that she would do anything other than help them if they asked her to.

"The forbidden forest is still very much forbidden - there is to be no magic in the hallways and _please, _do not leave your beds after hours. If there is something that you need, please use your wand to send a patronus to my office. If you are unable to do that, you may summon red sparks. Failing that just scream loud enough for this old man to hear you."

The students all chuckled at him.

"I want you all to concentrate on your studies – leave everything else to us. On that happier note, off to bed. First years, wait for a prefect to show you the way."

The students all stood and filed obediently out of the doors.

"Baby? I spoke to Dumbledore – he is happy for me to stay in the dungeons with you. I don't have to go to the common room at all." Bella smiled. Absolute _relief_ flashed through me as she pulled me towards the dungeons.

* * *

**AN: We're starting to get into the story a bit more now. We're about 3/4 of the way through, but I'm in the middle of writing a sequel. Let me know what you think of the story so far! thepinkcupcake.**


	22. RACE!

We were halfway down the cold, dreary stairs when we bumped into Severus;

"Isabella, Edward – welcome back. Albus informs me that you are moving into my dungeon? I can't say that I blame you, Edward. She's better off away from all of those drooling morons, anyway." He smiled.

I let out a huge guffaw. This man was no fool – he knew my insistence on Bella being here had little to do with potions.

"I couldn't have put it better myself." I agreed with a chuckle. He smiled, knowingly before returning his attention to Bella.

"I've moved my classroom to the second dungeon – it will be easier for you to contact me should you require any assistance. I've also extended your quarters. They were far too small to live in, long term."

"Thank you, Sir?" She questioned, she was clearly surprised by this normally moody man, suddenly smiling and being jovial. He merely laughed and walked away.

"What on Earth was _that_ about?" Bella whispered, frantically.

"What?" I chuckled.

"He was being _nice._ Severus Snape does not do _nice_. Perhaps I should go after him. Maybe he's been placed under the imperious curse!" She exclaimed.

"Sweetheart, he's fond of you – that's all." I told her.

"I sincerely doubt that. He hates _everyone."_

"Well he doesn't hate you." I thought back to the conversation I had with Severus while Bella had been sleeping. "He respects you, Bella. He told me so himself." I said with finality.

She didn't answer me and I knew she didn't want to argue with me over something so silly.

Bella worked throughout the night – she finished all of the blood-replenishing potions and had moved on to standard health potions. We were still working at seven in the morning, when Minerva walked into the Dungeon.

"Good morning, Isabella – Edward." She smiled. "I have your timetable here."

Bella took it from her and read it over, quickly.

"Thank you, Professor."

"Miss Black, technically, you are not a student. Minerva will suffice." The old witch smiled before sweeping from the room.

"I need to get changed," Bella murmured as she looked over her timetable. "I have to be in Defence against the Dark arts in an hour."

She fled to our quarters which were located in a room behind the desk. I picked up her timetable and read it over, committing it to memory. I had no idea how she intended to attend class, do her homework, sit her examinations, brew these potions _and_ work for the Order.

_She's going to be exhausted..._

She returned a few moments later, dressed in her uniform. I had to fight the urge to undress her again, straight away.

"Are you coming? Or would you like to stay here?" She smiled.

"I'm coming." I had no intention of letting my little witch out of my sight. So I'm a possessive asshole? Sue me.

While Bella ate breakfast in the great hall with her friends, I stood by the stage and caught up with my family.

"No wonder Bella and Harry were so bored at Forks high school. This place is incredible!" Rosalie laughed.

"It really is something, isn't it?" Carlisle murmured as he gazed at the bewitched ceiling.

"To think – if the Order has sent someone other than Bella to protect Harry, Edward would never had mated... Harry would have left and we wouldn't be here, now." Jasper whispered.

The thought made me recoil. The idea of a life without Bella was abhorrent to me. I _loved_ the magic, but that was all secondary to my feelings for Bella. I could easily survive without ever seeing another spell again. I could not, however, go on without Bella by my side. The family all shared similar thoughts. They agreed that the magic was endlessly amazing, but it was _Bella_ who kept us all together. It was Bella who they loved. The magic was just a bonus.

A young boy walked over to us, timidly;

"Excuse me..." he stammered, "but are you _really_ Vampires?" He questioned.

Carlisle crouched down to his height before answering him;

"We are, Son – but we wont hurt you. None of us bite humans. We survive off of animal blood, instead." He answered as kindly as he could. He was terrified of scaring the boy.

The small boy nodded before spinning round to face the other side of the hall again;

"Hey Amicus!" He bellowed. "It's alright after all. They're veggie Vamps!" He turned back to Carlisle and thanked him before running off... leaving every eye in the hall trained on us. Bella, who had seen the whole thing was walking up the aisles towards her seat, raised her wand to her throat, using the same spell that Dumbledore had. She sounded as though she were speaking through a microphone;

"Alright you lot – I can see that you have some questions, so in the interest of squashing the rumours before they begin, let me clear a few things up.."

She jumped onto the stage before walking over to us;

"This is Carlisle – he is the founder of this coven. He is so acclimatised to human blood, that he has spent the last _two hundred_ years working as a Muggle doctor." The students gasped before applauding, loudly. "He will continue to study magical medicine while he is here, so next time you fall off your brooms, he may very well be your healer."

"Next to him, is his beautiful wife and mate, Esme. She is without any reservations, the loveliest woman I know. If I didn't already have a Mother, I would choose her." The students all 'awww'd' at Esme who beamed at an oblivious Bella.

"This beefcake is my big brother, Emmett. Don't let the muscles fool you, boys and girls. He is an absolute teddy bear and game for anything. Think of him as Fred and George sewn together!" The students cheered and clapped... Emmett stepped forward and bowed... which only made them clap _harder._

"Next up, we have my sinfully handsome mate, Edward." The girls in the audience whistled and cheered. If I could have blushed, I would have been bright red for at least the next ten years. "He's originally from Chicago, America. He was changed when he was just seventeen, but he has just celebrated his 110th Birthday." I was met with a series of 'whoa' and 'damn'.

"This lovely lady is my sister, Alice. She's Jaspers mate and wife. This chick knows absolutely everything there is to know about muggle fashion, so when the Christmas Ball invitations get handed out, she's your go-to girl for dress advice." The girls all giggled and Alice grinned from ear to ear.

"This is my _other_ sister, Rosalie. She was changed just after my Edward, so she's 108 years old. She's fiercely loyal to those she loves and beautiful to boot!" The boys in the crowd agreed by whistling at her, loudly.

"Lastly, we have my other big brother, Jasper. Third years and above – have you all learned about the Sothern Vampire Wars?" There was a massive resounding 'yes' from the crowd. "Well, Jasper here, actually _fought_ in the Southern wars." This earned Jasper a massive round of applause. One boy stood up and spoke directly to Jasper.

"Did you really fight in the Southern Wars?"

"I did – for nearly two decades." Jasper responded.

"Mate, that's awesome! You're a legend!" Jasper lowered his head, embarrassed at the attention he was receiving.

"Now guys, my lovely Vampires only joined the magical world three weeks ago..." The crowd made noises of disbelief, but Bella pressed on. "For the last few _centuries_, they have been living in the Muggle world, posing as _humans. _I'm sure you can all understand just how difficult this was for them. " The students all nodded their heads at Bella.

"They weren't entirely sure of the reception that they would receive when they entered the Castle, so I want you to show them, over the coming months that they _are_ welcome in our world. I want you to show them that they have _friends_ here... that they have come _home... _So could you all, please, give my lovely Vampire family a Hogwarts welcome?"

Bella ended her speech there and kissed me on the cheek before jumping off the stage. The students watched her gracefully dismount before pushing back from the tables and standing, There was silence for about two seconds before they all began clapping and cheering as loudly as they could.

Fred and George decided to up the ante a bit by making sparks fly out of their wands while singing as loudly as they could.

_Absolute acceptance..._ That is what Bella had promised us. I watch as the several hundred students cheered us. They genuinely didn't care that we were Vampires. We didn't kill humans... as far as they were concerned, that just made us _people. _

Emmett bowed again and I watched as Fred ran over to me.

"To the astronomy tower, Edward!" He bellowed. I let out a huge guffaw as he climbed onto my back. The rest of the students stopped clapping and watched our display.

One student stood up and spoke directly to me;

"You're the Vampire that was at the joke shop in Diagon Alley last week! I saw you walking across the beams on the ceiling!" He exclaimed. I was going to answer him, but Fred beat me to it.

"Course he's the same one, you prat. He's Bella's fella, isn't he? He came to see the joke shop."

The boy just nodded and sat back down. Two seconds later, George climbed up onto Emmett's back and screamed;

"RACE!" Emmett took off like a shot and I was right behind him, laughing my ass off the whole way.

After that day, the students treated us as one of their own. We were invited to Quidditch practise and to the frequent parties that occurred in the common rooms after hours. We weren't able to attend many of the functions as we still had our work to do for the Order, but we made sure to thank them for the invitation every time we had to decline.

The weeks quickly rolled into month and before I had even blinked, summer had faded away into winter and we were rapidly approaching Christmas. The entire castle had been decorated for the occasion and the students were all eagerly anticipating the approaching holidays. It would be the first time they would be going home since September. Dumbledore wasn't allowing the students to remain here, should they wish to. He wanted to Order to have a much needed break from protection detail. As Vampires, we couldn't physically tire, but we could certainly deteriorate, mentally.

We had been drinking bottled blood for three months, now and I was desperately in need of something to hunt. I missed the thrill of the chase – the taste of _fresh_ blood. My throat burned continually, even though I was drinking the bottled stuff, daily.

"You ok, baby?" Bella asked. She knew that I was in pain and worried about me constantly.

"I'm fine sweet girl. We only have to last another day and then the term will be over. I love this castle, but I'll be so glad to get home for a few weeks." I confessed, honestly.

Bella's eyes filled with tears and she gripped my face tightly between her hands;

"It means so much to me that you think of Black Manor as your home, Edward. So much." She confessed before kissing me soundly. "I hate the fact that you are in _pain_ though. Talk to Dumbledore. I'm sure he'll let you go tonight if you need it..."

"I can't leave you, baby girl. I _wont_ leave you." I murmured as she pressed small kisses down my neck. I groaned when her hot little tongue ran along the length of my collarbone – it was when she ran her fingers through my hair and _pulled_ that I lost it. I was buried inside less than a second later.

Several hours later, Bella pulled herself away from me to get ready for the last day of term. We would be leaving after breakfast and I couldn't fucking wait. I had missed Sirius and William and was looking forward to my first family Christmas since 1917. Bella had warned me that her family did Christmas, _big. _I hadn't said anything, but I was really looking forward to a traditional family Christmas. We would even be able to have Christmas dinner!

We walked to the great hall, where Dumbledore waited to address the students.

"Another Christmas," he began, "Another term over..."

As usual, Dumbledore had the attention of every single person in the room. They all listened to him, intently as he wished them all a merry Christmas and directed them to the Hogwarts express. After the assembly was complete, those that were going to Black Manor filed into Dumbledore's office to use the Floo Network. I stepped in first after saying goodbye to the rest of the Order. As soon as my feet touched the floor at home, I was swept into Andromeda's arms.

"Edward! We _missed_ you, son. How are you? Are you well?"

I chuckled at her enthusiasm. If I was entirely honest, I was enjoying the fact that I had people that loved me, waiting for me to come home.

"I'm well, Dro. I missed you all, too. The castle is _incredible, _but I've never been so glad to be _home."_ I answered her, mentally exhausted.

She smiled at dazzling smile and I could tell that she was glad that I thought of this as my home, too. Sirius bounded into the room, next.

"Edward, Son! Welcome home!" He pulled me into a tight embrace and asked me to tell him all about my time at Hogwarts. I was about halfway through when Bella appeared in the fireplace. She was greeted with as much enthusiasm as I was and she giggled at her parents.

"Are the kids home?" William called from somewhere in the house.

"They're here, father. Fresh off the Floo Network."

The rest of the afternoon continued in the the same way. We were all reunited with our loved ones and relaxing in the front room.

After a fantastic dinner, I made my excuses and left the room. I _needed_ to hunt. The rest of my family had come and gone in the castle as they pleased. I hadn't hunted once in three months because I couldn't be away from Bella. I was desperately thirsty by this point. I flew from the house and entered the extensive grounds. I could run in any direction and not come in contact with any humans. I was completely free to let my guard down. Sirius and William had stocked the grounds with many different variations of animal for us to hunt.

I spent nearly four hours hunting – letting my inner predator roam free. After three months of being in a confined space with humans, I needed this chance to just be myself. When I literally couldn't drink anymore, I spun around, suddenly desperate to be back with my Bella. I flashed into the front room and immediately noticed that my coven were nowhere to be found. None of the Order were here, either.

I realised then, that this is what the house was going to be like after the war. It was impossibly busy here because the Order used this house for their headquarters, but after the war was over, those frequent meetings would stop. I also knew that my coven had made plans to purchase a house that was situated about ten miles up the road from Black Manor. They wanted the Blacks to have their home back. It wasn't safe for my family to leave yet, though. That would have to wait until after the war.

I looked on at my new family, silently. Bella and William were decorating an immense Christmas tree, which dominated the entire eastern corner of the room. Real fairies flew in and out of the branches, lighting the tree with the glow from their luminous wings. The rest of the room was decked out with mistletoe and tinsel, baubles and candles. I watched as William lifted Bella up above his head so that she could place the antique star on the top of the tree.

This was like something out of a fairytale. A real Christmas.

"It's just us, I'm afraid, Edward." Dro said, sweetly, drawing my attention back to her.

"No – this is actually perfect, Dro. A quiet evening with the family is just what I need." I confessed.

Two seconds later, Sirius strode into the room, his arms laden with Christmas decorations, singing 'God rest ye merry hippogriff' at the top of his lungs. I lost my shit and just burst out laughing.

_Irony..._

"What?" he asked. "What did I say?"


	23. For the love of blood

**AN: As this story progresses, you will notice that Edward and Bella's mating connection gets stronger, as do their reactions to each as an advanced warning, this chapter contains a spontaneous, steamy lemon. If it's not your thing, please feel free to skip it. I'll put a double line in before it starts...  
**

* * *

A few hours later and we had transformed the entire house. The decorations were up and it was just the black family here. Dro had fussed over me and Bella all evening, declaring how happy she was to have her 'babies' home for the holidays. I wont lie – I liked that. I liked that a lot.

She walked into the room holding the stockings, which were to be placed over the fireplace. She managed it in just a few seconds with a swish of her wand. I watched as they soared into their places and hung gently, over the roaring fire. I noticed that I too had a stocking over the fire – my name was embroidered beautifully on it. Sirius followed my line of sight and smiled at me.

'_We bought that stocking ten years ago, Edward. Bella chose it herself.'_

His thoughts shocked me to my core and I couldn't help the venom that pooled in my eyes. I walked over to Bella, who was talking to her grandfather, and pulled her into my arms.

"What's this in aid of?" Bella chuckled.

"You'll never understand just how much I love you, little witch. Thank you for my stocking." I whispered into her ear. I had completely forgotten that we were standing in a room with her family until I saw a camera flash out of the corner of my eye. I jerked my head to the side and saw Andromeda holding the offending item without shame;

"Oh you two are so perfect together," she crowed. "I'm so happy to have you both home."

I grinned at her approval - the opinion of Bella's family meant everything to me. I didn't have time to reply to her before my own family returned to the house. Soon after, various members of the order descended, too.

My Bella was locked in a deep discussion with Esme about what I had been like in my early years as a vampire. I would normally have been embarrassed by the reminder of my wild days, but Sirius and William thought the whole thing sounded hysterical.

"So he never once slipped up?" George asked. My whole frame stiffened as the room fell silent in curiosity. I wanted to flee, but Bella had her hand wrapped passively round my thigh. She wasn't going to let me go _anywhere._

"He had a brief lapse in self-control," Esme whispered. Her thoughts were screaming apologies at me. I grimaced, too afraid to meet the eyes of anyone in the room.

"Not brief enough if you ask me," my little witch seethed.

"Bella!" Molly scolded. "How could you say such a thing?"

"Because the people who Edward hunted deserved their fate." She whispered. "They deserved so much worse."

"I don't understand..." Molly whispered.

"They were the very furthest thing from human, Molly. They were _monsters._ Edward used his gift – he read the minds of everyone to find the most evil men he could. Murderers, rapists, child abusers. He hunted them all – probably saved more lives than he took in the process." She muttered.

"Good for you, Edward," Bill stated. My head snapped up to meet his and the confusion must have been obvious on my face. Didn't he think what I had done was _awful? _I didn't get the chance to ask him before Fred piped in;

"You know, Edward – if you ever feel the need to slip up again, I have the perfect candidate. You've met Draco Malfoy, right?" He laughed.

"Fred!" Molly chuckled. Bella threw a pillow at her friend and dissolved into hysterics. Just like that, the tension left the room and everyone moved on. I scanned the minds that were open and found that no one was thinking about me at all. They had listened, heard my reasons and moved on. _Absolute acceptance. _Bella squeezed my leg once more and turned back to Esme, who decided to tell my little witch about the time that I had endured a fierce fit of blood lust and thrown an antique table through the upstairs window.

"Uncle Edward!" My head snapped towards the doorway and my eyes met my little buddy. He must have grown two inches since September.

"Little buddy! Get over here and give your uncle a cuddle." He ran straight towards me, but stopped when he reached the sofa. I could see his little mind trying to work out how he was going to get to me. The entire room was packed with adults and even his tiny frame didn't have a chance of getting past them. I stood and flashed over to him, leaping over the sofa in the process. He squealed in delight when I scooped him up.

"Remus, I'm stealing Teddy." I called out into the crowd before leaping back over the sofa. I sat back in my chair and pulled my little buddy into my lap. He then spent the next twenty minutes chewing my ear off. He was so endearing, that the room eventually fell silent as everyone watched Teddy ask his questions;

"I'm coming to stay with you in a few days, uncle Edward! I want to sleep in Bella's bed." He exclaimed.

"You are? You can sleep in whatever bed you want to, little man." I chuckled.

"Teddy! I haven't asked uncle Edward yet," Dora scolded. Teddy looked appropriately chastised... for about three seconds.

"I'm sorry Edward. I was _going_ to ask you if you and Bella would be willing to watch Teddy on Christmas Eve? Both Remus and I have been called into work for the order. Normally Teddy will stay with my father, but _not_ when he knows that you are home from school." She apologised.

"Good grief, don't apologise, Dora. I would love to have him stay over," I vowed. "... and you know that Bella will want him here, too."

"I just feel awful asking you to look after him on Christmas eve..." she trailed off.

"Don't be daft – he's family. Although, if it's okay with you, I would like to take him and Bella out, though? I asked.

"Of course... going somewhere special?" She smiled.

"Well, I had planned to take Bella shopping in Marseille. I thought it would be nice to get away from the war for a few hours. There is supposed to be a huge Santa's grotto just outside of the city. We could take Teddy there – give him a proper day out. They have reindeer carriages there, too." I smiled.

"I want a reindeer!" Teddy clapped, excitedly. The entire order watched him in hysterics.

"Teddy," Dora sighed, "where would we put a reindeer?"

"Uncle Edward could look after it. But you can't eat it!" He scolded me. I grimaced at the thought. Reindeer smelled foul and tasted even worse.

"I'll see what I can do," I laughed. Bella came over and slipped her arm around my waist;

"We're going to Marseille?" She grinned, excitedly.

"Yes, but you can't have a reindeer." I informed her. She pretended to pout and I couldn't resist kissing her soft lips. Teddy quickly made gagging noises and pulled me from my mate.

"Uncle Edward! That's gross!" He informed me.

"I'll remind you of that in twenty years. I promise that you wont think it's gross then." I vowed.

"Don't be so sure, Edward," Emmett yelled across the room. "You didn't have your first kiss until you were over a hundred. You thought that girls were gross, too!" The entire order burst out laughing and I felt like an idiot. It was short lived, though. Teddy quickly recaptured everyone's attention.

It was well after midnight when the Order decided to turn in for the night. Teddy was still fast asleep on my lap. Remus came over and tried to take him from me, but he would just cling on tighter each time.

Eventually, we managed to pry his tiny fingers from my hair and Remus took him home.

* * *

The second that Teddy was out of my arms, something inside me flipped. I didn't know what was happening, but my entire body was screaming at me to get to Bella. I rooted my feet firmly to the floor and tried to calm myself down, but I couldn't.

I felt my hands ball into fists at my sides as I lost control of the growl that had been bubbling in my chest. The whole room fell silent when they heard the terrifying sound.

"Edward? Son? What's wrong?" Carlisle asked. I ignored him completely and only growled louder as he tried to approach me.

Bella came into the room, her eyes scanning frantically for me. As soon as they locked onto me, my growl became a roar. The humans in the room backed away until they hit the wall.

"Edward, what is _wrong_ with you?" Rosalie seethed.

"Bella? Go to him, love," William whispered. "He needs you, sweetheart."

"You're letting her go near him? Are you crazy? He's not in control!" Alice screeched.

"Bella... go to your mate." William repeated.

Bella walked over to me without a second thought. The moment she was within my grasp, I grabbed her and ran up to our room. The second the door was closed, I had her pressed against it, shredding her clothes until she was gloriously naked. I didn't wait to ask her permission before I sheathed myself inside her. She groaned at the intrusion and fisted her little hands into my hair. That singular action only spurred me on more and I set a furious pace as I ploughed into my mate.

'_What is going on William? Are you letting this happen? He's hurting her!' Rosalie screeched._

'_He's having a mating moment, Rosalie. It's normal for someone who is mated to a Veela. Deep down, Edward knows that Bella isn't tied to him the way he is to her. She could fall in love with anyone else – it's his subconscious exerting it's will over her.' William explained._

'_I don't understand..." Alice trailed off._

'_He's claiming her, Alice. It's nothing to worry about.' Sirius murmured._

'_I still think we should go and make sure that she's alright...' Emmett stated._

'_Emmett if you enter that room now, Edward will kill you. He isn't himself and he wont recognise that you are his brother. He will see you as a threat and end you. No one is more protective over Bella than me and I promise you that she is fine,' Dro vowed._

I tuned them all out and concentrated on my little witch again. _Fuck she's incredible. _Without any conscious thought, I threw us both down onto the floor and drilled into her again and again. We didn't pause for breath or stop to clear up – all night long I kept up my vicious ministrations and Bella let me.

* * *

After nearly six hours, I finally began to regain my senses. Slowly, my fear began to ebb and I came back to myself. I should have been horrified by my actions, but I knew as soon as I looked into Bella's eyes, that she understood. More than that – she wanted it too.

Still without speaking, I swept her up into my arms and carried her into the bathroom. I wanted to talk to her – to make sure that she was okay, but my mouth literally couldn't form the words. There was something absolutely primal overtaking me. I had but one singular desire: To take care of my mate.

In absolute silence I bathed my mate, washing every inch of her with my bare hands. She didn't try to talk to me, or stop me when I carried her into our closet and dressed her., in fact she actually ran her fingers through my hair when I bent down to put on her shoes.

The loud rumble of her stomach reminded me of my next task. My little witch needed food. I scooped her into my arms, refusing to be parted from her and carried her down the kitchen was full when we arrived there. There were no Order members, but both of our families were sitting at the table. Esme stood to greet us when we came in;

"Bella, are you hungry? I could make something for you..." I noticed Sirius shaking his head at her and I mentally reminded myself to thank him later.

"I need to make it," I grunted. Still holding onto Bella, I prepared her some eggs and toast before sitting at the table and pulling her into my lap. Bella's family smiled when they saw me feeding my mate – clearly they had each gone through similar events with their own partners._ My_ family, however, were staring at me as though they thought I had lost my mind.

"Surely she can feed herself, Edward," Emmett questioned. I growled at him lowly and looked at William beseechingly. He understood what I wanted immediately and smiled at me before turning to Emmett.

"Emmett, Bella isn't a vampire. She is a _veela. _Edwards mating bond is entirely different to your own. You have to understand that they both _need_ this. This is _bonding_ for them. Yes, of course Bella can feed herself – but why should she have to? Edward wants a chance to cherish and care for his mate. That's what he is doing." William explained.

"Do you all really think so low of me?" I asked my family. "Do you really think that I would ever hurt my Bella? Please try to understand that while my actions last night may have seemed strange to _you, _they felt perfectly natural to me and Bella." I whispered. My family seemed embarrassed by their behaviour and I relaxed, slightly.

"Being around Bella's family had showed me how things _should _be. I am learning everyday the meaning of 'unconditional love' and 'absolute acceptance'. I don't want to be around anything that will hinder my progression... I need your _support_." I informed them.

"More to the point, I refuse to be stifled any longer. We're not in the muggle world any more. I refuse to hide and conceal myself. I refuse to hunt animals when there is perfectly good, human-donor blood available." I explained.

"Well said," William murmured as he read his paper. "Are you thirsty?"

My throat burned uncomfortably and he noticed my grimace. With a nod, he put down his paper and went over to the pantry. My coven held their breath, knowing what was about to happen. William was back less than a second later with a goblet full of human blood. It smelled _incredible. _For decades, I had forced myself to resist the pull of this glorious scent – but no one _died_ for this blood. A single drop was donated and multiplied magically. I could drink this blood and be guilt free.

"Edward," Carlisle began, "that blood may have been donated, but it still comes with a heavy price. You know as well as I do that human blood drinkers are feral. They lose their humanity entirely, son." He scolded.

"Yes, but I am not human, Carlisle – so _please... _stop trying to force me to act like one." I begged. I love my father, but his holier-than-thou attitude was enough to drive a man insane. Without hesitation, I raised the goblet to my lips and allowed the liquid to enter my mouth. I couldn't control the groan that fell from my lips as the liquid cooled the burn in my throat entirely. I drained the entire cup in seconds and Sirius chuckled.

"More, son?" He laughed. I nodded my head, unable to answer as I licked my lips clean.

"Wait," Bella whispered. I lowered my gaze to meet her eyes and she smiled. "Would you like to try some _veela _blood?"

I must have looked confused because William stepped in once more; "Veela may not smell like food, but their blood is second to none – not even your singer could compare." He informed me.

"I wonder what Bella's blood would taste like to him?" Sirius mused. "Given that they are mated, would it taste good or bad to Edward?" He looked at William who shrugged.

"Only one way to find out, I suppose. Bella?" He asked. My little witch pulled her wand from her robe and pointed it to the goblet;

"Evanesco," she whispered. The goblet cleaned itself and the last remnants of the human blood disappeared. She held her finger over the goblet and swiped her wand along it. A single drop of blood fell into the goblet before the wound healed itself. She waved her wand once more and I watched in awe as the single drop of blood swelled to fill the goblet. My family watched on in disbelief as I raised the glass to my lips. It was a strange sensation – Bella didn't smell like food, so how would she taste?

The first mouthful touched my lips and I lost it. William hadn't been joking when he had said that Veela blood was more satisfying than anything else I could covet. There was nothing else like this in the world. The glass emptied and I growled in furious anger. Bella refilled it for me again and again and I drank every drop. After twelve goblets, full to the brim, I finally had enough.

"So I taste quite yummy, then?" Bella joked. I growled a laugh at her and buried my face into her neck, inhaling her sweet ambrosia. It didn't burn, but I knew what it tasted like – it was the best of both worlds.

"Well, I know what to feed you for the rest of eternity, now." She laughed. My head snapped up as I realised what she was saying... what she was _offering._

"You would... you would allow me to taste your blood _again?_" I confirmed. My little witch giggled at me and ruffled my hair.

"Of course, Edward. As often as you like. If I had known that this was possible, I would have done it ages ago." She smiled. Love... absolute love for this girl swelled in my chest as I gripped her to me furiously.

"So hang on – you're just going to latch your teeth onto her whenever it takes your fancy? She's not a blood bank, Edward. This isn't meals on wheels," Rosalie huffed.

"Rosalie, you _heard_ my daughter offer this. She was not forced, pushed or coerced...she is trying to keep her mate _strong. _Tell me – if _you_ were able to feed Emmett _your_ blood... would you?" Sirius reasoned.

Rosalie did not not answer, but it was obvious that she grudgingly agreed with Sirius. She would do anything to make Emmett happy. She offered a timid nod in agreement and Sirius smiled, broadly.

"Good – then on that note, I'm off to work. Bella? You're due at school in an hour," Sirius reminded her.

"Oh bugger – I completely forgot about the potions. I should go and get dressed." She muttered as she left the table. As soon as she was ready, we stepped into the fireplace and began our short journey to Hogwarts.


	24. I'm a spy

The guards in Dumbledore's office were much more comfortable with me now. Lenny and Steve barely raised their heads as I stepped out of the fire.

"Little Bella has already gone down, Edward," Lenny murmured. I nodded my thanks at him at walked out of the room. I had just stepped out of the hole between the stone gargoyles when I bumped into Severus. The scowl that seemed to be permanently attached to his face, lessened when we made eye contact;

"Morning Sev," I smiled. If he was taken aback by my new nickname for him, he didn't show it.

"Edward," he greeted in return. "No Bella today?"

"She's gone on ahead. She couldn't wait around for me – she needed to stir the health potions…"

"Oh of course. I'll go and give her a hand in a minute. I'm glad I bumped into you – I was wondering if I could borrow you for a moment?" He enquired.

"Certainly. What can I do for you?" I asked. He led me towards the lower corridor and spoke at a volume too low for anyone but us to hear.

"I'm a little concerned. Certain ingredients have gone missing from my personal store room and I need to know who has taken them. I was wondering if you would be able to have a look and see if you could detect a scent?"

I nodded and stepped into the large room. There were two discernable scents in this room. One of them belonged to Severus, the other did not. I tracked the second scent to certain ingredients;

"Lacewing flies, leeches, knotgrass…." I spoke aloud. "Polyjuice potion?" I asked.

"I'm impressed, Edward," Severus smiled. "You've picked up the art of potions quickly."

I nodded in agreement. "I don't think I would have been as interested were it not for Bella – but she loves her alchemy. Now, I find myself fascinated by it, too. Such a precise art – no room for mistakes.." I murmured.

"Indeed… and the scent?" Severus replied.

"Draco Malfoy." I answered. There was no mistake – his scent was repugnant and stale. I could pick it out from a crowd of a million with absolute ease. Severus sighed and rubbed his face with his hands.

"Can you not just confiscate the potion from him?" I asked. Surely there was nothing so serious as to cause justifiable reasoning for Severus to be so concerned.

"It's not that simple, I'm afraid," he whispered. I regarded the man for a moment. I had heard many tales about Severus Snape, but over the last few weeks, I had learned to disregard them. Many labelled him as cruel. I myself _liked_ him.

"What can I do to help, Sev? You have to help me understand what's going on…" I whispered. Not it was his turn to eye me with speculation. I'm not sure what he was looking for, but apparently he found it, as he stepped into the supply room and closed the door behind us.

"Bella really hasn't told you, has she?" He asked. I shook my head, acknowledging his answer.

"She would never betray you, Severus. She respects you far too much for that… and although I resent her need for secrecy, I would never ask her to be disloyal to you."

Severus slumped onto the floor of his store room with a thud. The colour had drained from his face completely and when he spoke… his voice was devoid of all emotion.

"I'm a spy," He whispered. "I am a double agent."

Pure shock ran through me at his confession. I had _not_ been expecting that.

"Dumbledore?" I asked and he nodded.

"Lily Potter was my best friend," he confessed. "She was my soul mate – there was to be no other for me, but she chose James… Harry's father – a man who made it his life's work to make me miserable in any way that he could. I rebelled too, Edward… only I didn't hunt humans as you did. I joined the death eaters."

He pulled up his sleeve to show me a large tattoo of a snake, which covered his lower forearm. His hand rubbed at it absentmindedly as he told his story.

"The dark Lord trusted me implicitly… but when he told me of his plan to go after Lily and her family, I _begged_ Dumbledore to protect them – to keep them safe. He tried, but it wasn't enough. Lily died protecting her son and the Dark Lord was defeated. Dumbledore persuaded me to devote my life to protecting Harry when the Dark Lord rose again. I agreed… and here I am now." He whispered.

I sank to the floor next to him and let out a huge sigh. "Bella never said a word of this to me," I admitted.

"No," he murmured. "I'm starting to understand that she is one of the most trustworthy people I know. Every day I feared that she would tell my secrets, that I would be forced from the school and shunned for my sins – but she never said a word."

I nodded and lay my head back on one of the shelves; "How does this tie in with Draco Malfoy?"

"The Dark Lord plans to make Draco kill Albus… it will never come to pass, though. As soon as I found out, I warned the Order. But it wasn't enough to save myself…. Draco's mother came to me – she begged me to help her son. I had no choice but to go along with her wishes. If I had refused, she would have known that my loyalties did not lay with the Dark Lord. So I swore to protect him…. I made the unbreakable vow."

"Shit." I knew enough about this particular curse to understand it's implications. If Severus didn't help Draco, he would die. I steeled my resolve to help my new friend and turned to face him.

"Albus Dumbledore is no fool. He will defeat any plan we can come up with to help Draco," I murmured.

Severus looked at me in blank shock. Clearly he hadn't been expecting me to help him.

"I can follow Draco – it will be easier for me to track him. With my heightened senses, I can be invisible to him. Is he an accomplished Occlumens?"

"He is," Severus croaked, his expression wary.

"Well I may not be able to read his mind, but I can still discover what he is doing. I will find out what his plan is and let you know. Together, we'll sort this out, Sev." I bumped my shoulder into his, gently and he chuckled.

"If someone had told me that I would be sitting in a dank store room, spilling my deepest secrets to a Vampire…"

I boomed a laugh and stood up, offering my hand to my new friend – he took it, without hesitation and smiled.

"Thank you, Edward." He whispered.

"Don't even think of it." I opened the door and stepped into the corridor, but Severus stopped me by placing his hand onto my forearm.

"Please," he begged, "You mustn't tell anyone."

"I wouldn't dare. Bella would have my nuts in a vice grip." I joked – Severus managed a smile. The poor man looked like he was about to crumble from the weight of his demons.

"Am I allowed to tell Bella that you confided in me? Or would you prefer me not to say anything at all?"

"No – you may tell Bella anything that you wish. She has more than proven herself to be a friend," he whispered.

We walked down to dungeon three in companionable silence, and found Bella working over a cauldron with absolute concentration on her face. In silence, Sev and I each took a cauldron of our own and got to work. We worked well into the afternoon, under the glow of soft candle light.

"Bella, love? We'll need to leave soon. Your mother will worry if we miss dinner and Teddy will be arriving in a few hours," I murmured. I was undeniably excited to be taking my two little ones to Marseille. Christmas Eve in France sounded perfect to me. No potions, no school, no war. Just me and my babies.

"Okay – let me just grab my things." She re-emerged with her coat and gloves in her hand and extinguished some of the main candles which were lighting the room.

"Professor? Dad told me to remind you that Molly is hosting Christmas at the burrow. It's an open invitation to the entire order, but she hasn't been able to get the invitations out." She smiled.

Severus seemed taken aback by the offer – as though it seemed strange to be invited anywhere. I could see that he was absolutely uncertain about attending, so I stepped in.

"Oh good – you can help me deal with the mad veela in-laws then, Sev." I chuckled.

"My family are _not…_ no you're right they absolutely _are_ mad. Run while you can!" She laughed. Sev still seemed unsure, though he was smiling slightly. I waited until Bella was distracted and nudged him in the shoulder…. He met my eyes and nodded.

"I'll be there, Bella… and you can stop calling me 'professor', you know." He quipped.

"Sorry Severus - old habits and all that. So we'll see you at the Burrow – if not before?" Bella confirmed. Severus nodded and walked away with a small smile playing on his lips. As soon as he was out of sight, I wrapped my little witch in my arms and carried her at a human pace up to the headmasters office;

"Is there a reason why you're carrying me?" She giggled. The only answer I gave her was to grip onto her a little tighter as we stepped into the fireplace. She clung on tightly as we spun through the grates. Silly Bella – as if I would let anything hurt her….

As soon as my feet touched the floor in our home, the family descended. Dro was the first to reach us as I set Bella down on her feet. She immediately began to fuss over us. Most people would have probably found this annoying – but I secretly _loved_ the fact that we were missed – especially as we were only gone for a short time. I smiled as I looked around at my new family, and I knew that I had made the right decision to come here. I would never have been able to leave Bella – but I now knew that I could leave the Black's, either.

We had just finished eating another succulent dinner, when we heard Teddy arrive in the living room fire.

"Uncle Edward…" he sang at the top of his lungs. "Where are you?"

"In the kitchen little buddy," I answered. Teddy walked in dressed in his pyjamas. He didn't hesitate as he climbed into my lap.

"Are you hungry splodge?" Bella asked as she kissed his cheek. He shook his head at his favourite aunt and nuzzled into my neck. Less than a minute later, he was fast asleep in my arms. Poor little mite. He had made so many plans for his sleepover tonight – but he was too tired to do any of them.

I carried him up to our room, per his request and tucked him into our bed. I stood there and watched my little buddy for hours. He was so desperately small – I couldn't bare to leave him alone up here, unprotected. Eventually, Bella came in and climbed into bed next to her nephew, who curled into his aunts chest as he slept. Well, I definitely wasn't leaving this room now. My entire world was in here, sleeping and vulnerable. They needed me to keep them safe while they slept.

I maintained my vigil throughout the night, while packing a bag for the three of us. We would have to leave for Marseille in an hour or two if we wanted to avoid the crowds. I moved over to the bed and stroked my little witch's face.

"Bella, love. You need to wake up. We have to leave soon," I whispered. She rubbed her eyes tiredly, but offered no fight. She pushed back the covers without a fuss and left the room to make teddy some breakfast. I moved over to Teddy next and woke him, too.

"Little buddy. It's time to get up..." I whispered. He opened his eyes and seemed confused for a moment, before he shot straight up in bed, grinning.

"Uncle Edward! It's Christmas Eve today! We're going to see Santa!" He giggled. I chuckled at his obvious excitement and pulled him into my arms.

"We are indeed little buddy, so lets get you dressed, hmm? Aunty Bella is making you breakfast, too."

After a quick wash, I managed to wrestle my very excited nephew into some clean clothes and drag him down the stairs. He ate rapidly and began his campaign to nag us into leaving.

"Aunty Bella," he whined. "Come on! It's time to go!"

Bella merely ruffled his hair while he pouted. "Come on the splodge. Put your finger on this – it's a portkey. It will take us to Santa, okay?"

He nodded his little head, eagerly and shoved his finger onto the little teapot. I managed to throw a wink at my love before the portkey glowed and we were yanked away from Black manor.

Marseille with my little ones – today was going to be _perfect._


	25. Dreams in Marseille

Once our feet touched solid ground, I glanced around to try and get my bearings. I wasn't sure where the portkey had taken us, but I was fairly certain that we were in a forest for a reason. Bella must have noticed my confusion because she laughed at me before explaining.

"Sorry, baby. We're about ten miles south of Marseille. I didn't dare take us in any further. I thought it might scare the muggles if we just appeared in the middle of the street," she giggled.

"Actually, love, this is perfect. We're about a ten minute run from the grotto…"

"Santa's grotto? We're nearly there?" Teddy bounced excitedly.

"Sure are little buddy. Hop up onto my back and we'll run, okay?" I asked. He needed no further instruction than that. He was onto my back in a shot, kicking his legs in excitement.

I heard the thoughts of several humans invade my mind and warned Bella to slow down to a walk.

"What are we doing, Edward? I don't think there's a grotto here?" Bella questioned. I shook my head at her and mouthed 'trust me'. She nodded but seemed completely bemused. I led Lanie and Teddy out through a gap in the trees and knew that we were in the right place when I heard Teddy squeal in excitement.

"What are _they?" _He breathed in awe. My eyes left his excited face unwillingly, as I turned to see what he was looking at. Just across the street stood at least fifty, ice-white carriages – all being pulled by reindeer. The carriages were driven by 'elves' in some of the most typically authentic costumes I had ever seen. _Good. _I wanted this day to be perfect for my little nephew.

"These are Santa's special carriages, Teddy. No one knows where Santa's grotto is hidden – only the reindeer know, so we're going to have to get into one of the carriages and let them take us to the secret location. Is that okay?" I asked. His little head bobbed furiously as he dragged us over the road.

One of the attendants saw us coming and led us to the first carriage in the queue. He helped Teddy and Bella inside before handing me a map and itinerary for the trip. I climbed in after the little ones and the carriage immediately began to move.

"We're going, uncle Edward! The reindeer are taking us to see Santa!" He squealed.

I knew that even without perfect vampire recall, I would never have been able to forget this moment. The absolute excitement radiating off my nephew was palpable. Something deep inside me clawed _desperately_ at my heart as I watched him.

Once the carriage pulled to a stop, Teddy was out in a flash – leaving me and Bella to chase after him. He didn't get too far, though. Once his little eyes found the grotto, he stood absolutely still – just staring.

The grotto was actually a massive, glass dome. Every square inch of it was covered in twinkling lights and baubles. I glanced down at the map in my hand and then turned to Teddy.

"Little buddy? One of the elves gave me this map – we have to follow the clues to get to Santa," I explained. He wrenched the map from my grasp and wandered off once he had worked out where he was supposed to go.

"Come on you two!" He bellowed. "We have to find the penguins!" He ran away giggling down the winding path, which was lit with hundreds of glass lanterns. I took my Bella's hand and followed on after him.

"What are you thinking, my love?" Bella murmured. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye and saw that she was smiling, slightly.

"Honestly? I was thinking about what it would be like to bring _our_ children here one day," I whispered. Embarrassment overtook me and I knew that if I were human, I would have been bright red by now. Bella and I had mentioned children in passing, but I had never laid my heart out like this before. I felt silly to bring it up now. Bella interrupted my thoughts when she squeezed my hand;

"You'll get that chance, Edward," she whispered. "I've seen them…."

"Seen who, love?" I asked in confusion.

"Our children. I've visited them in my dreams." She breathed.

I pulled back slightly to look at my girl. Her eyes were closed and she had a small smile on her perfect face.

"You – you've seen our _children?" _I stammered in disbelief.

"I see them every night. They are so perfect…"

My entire frame was shaking. She had seen our babies. Once she dreamt of something in her pre-cognitive dreams, it happened. I was going to be the Father of Isabella's children.

"Show me," I whispered, desperately. "_Please_ sweet girl, open you mind and let me see them? Please." I begged.

I felt her drop her shield and I was immediately immersed into the deepest confines of her beautiful mind.

I saw myself standing in the extensive grounds to the Black manor. Bella walked out of the back door, dressed in a floor length summer dress. Her hair was swept neck elegantly. I saw my Mothers ring glisten on the fourth finger of her left hand. More importantly, I saw what her hand was covering. I let my eyes drift towards her stomach which was rounded, with my child.

"_You look beautiful, sweetheart." I murmured into her neck. She giggled quietly. _

The scene changed and I saw her laying on the bed in our room. Her face was tensed in pain.

"_Edward… it hurts." She whimpered._

"_You're doing so well, sweetheart." I crooned as she was hit with a contraction. _

The scene shifted again – Bella's labour had obviously progressed by this point. A healer stood at the end of the bed, giving Bella calm instructions.

"_When the next contraction comes, you need to push, Isabella."_

_Isabella groaned and pushed as hard as she could. Her hand never left my own._

_The Nurse placed our tiny baby in a blanket and passed him to Isabella._

"_It's a boy." She told us, kindly. _

_Bella groaned again and the baby was whipped away from her and placed into a crib next to the bed. _

"_This little one is impatient to come out and meet their brother." She chuckled._

"_Push, Bella. There's a good girl." The Nurse soothed. She wrapped the second baby up and placed them next to their brother. _

"_Two beautiful baby boys." She smiled. "Well done, Isabella."_

She pulled out of the memory and I grasped her face between my hands. "We're going to have twins?" I sobbed, silently. She nodded and smiled.

"Would you like to see what happens next?" She offered.

"Please," I begged, "_Please_ show me."

I watched the scene shift once again and I saw myself standing in the library in the Black Manor. Our two boys ran into the room.

"_Daddy!" They both crowed, excitedly. "You're home!"_

_I watched as Bella walked in after them, her stomach was once again rounded with my child._

"_Anthony? Masen? Let daddy get changed. He's had a long day at the Ministry." She smiled at them lovingly. _

The scene shifted once again and I saw Bella cradling a small baby in her arms, our sons sat next to her and looked at the baby in awe.

"_Hello, Elizabeth!" Anthony said, excitedly._

"_We're your big brothers!" Masen giggled._

Her mind closed once more and she spoke to me, quietly.

"Our babies." She whispered.

I was still shaking, completely unable to speak. I was vaguely aware of Teddy running over to tell us that he had found the penguins. Bella squeezed my hand and walked away with him – she seemed to know, instinctively, that I needed a moment to process the things I had just discovered.

_I was going to be a father..._

One day – hopefully in the not too distant future, I was going to be blessed with three beautiful children. _Three!_ My eyes snapped up when I heard Bella and Teddy giggling. They were further down the path, dancing underneath one of the many snow machines. The sight of the two of them, in that moment, could have unfrozen my silent heart.

_This woman was going to be the mother of my children. They will never understand how lucky that makes them..._

I may not have been able to tell her how much her vision meant to me – I would never find the words, but I was going to show her. Every minute of every single fucking day was going to be devoted to this incredible woman.

The incredible Mother of my three perfect children.

Honestly, the rest of the trip to the Grotto was a bit of a haze. I found myself walking around on autopilot with a megawatt smile plastered on my face. I grimaced as I realized how creepy I must have looked. It was obvious that Teddy had enjoyed himself, though. He had walked out of there with a sack of toys that I absolutely couldn't resist buying for him.

"That was amazing, uncle Edward! Thank you!" Teddy beamed.

"Don't thank me yet, little buddy – the day is just beginning," I grinned. His little face lit up when he realized that we weren't going home yet.

"Where are we going?" He bounced. I pulled a set of keys from my pocket and mentally thanked William for organizing this for me.

"Have you ever been in a muggle car, Teddy? Or played with muggle toys?" I asked. His mouth was hung wide open as he shook his head. "Would you like to?"

"Yeah! Lets go!" I chuckled when he dragged me over to the nearest car. He didn't seem to understand that we couldn't just drive any car we saw. He was growing extremely impatient by the time we picked up the rental at the dealership. We loaded his sack of toys into the trunk and helped him settle inside. Bella sat in the back with him – I was a little worried that he might be scared once I turned the engine on…. I could not have been more wrong. The entire drive to Marseille, he had his head hung out of the window like a dog on a hot day. More than once he startled the people on the street when he suddenly decided to scream 'FASTER!' at the top of his lungs. Bella was crying with laughter by the end of our journey.

"Where are we now, uncle Edward?" I glanced down at my nephew, who was smiling sweetly at me as I locked up the car. This boy was so endearing, I vowed that I would buy a car in England and take him for a drive every damn day, just to see him smile like this.

"We're going to a mall, buddy. It's like Diagon alley, but it's full of muggle things." I explained.

His confusion was obvious, so I decided that the easiest thing to do would be to _show _him. I picked him up with one arm and held Bella's hand with the other. I had planned on taking him to one of the toy shops, but that plan died the second teddy discovered the Sony centre.

Row after row of televisions may seem boring to a muggle, but _this_ little boy had never seen one before. There was no electricity in his world – magic interfered with it too badly, so when he discovered _cartoons_, I made another promise to buy a house away from any wizards, just so that he could watch the Disney channel whenever he felt like it.

Was I spoiling him? Yes. Did I give a shit? No.

Eventually, we managed to pull him into the toy store. I felt bad for bringing him in here. Most of the toys that he wanted wouldn't work once he brought them home.

"Bella? Are batteries affected by magic?" I asked. Teddy had been looking at a marching robot. I wanted to buy it for him, but there was no point if it wouldn't work at home.

"What's a battery?" Bella asked. Her confused expression was so sweet that I ended up laughing at her, loudly. I shook my head, still chuckling as I tried to answer her;

"Don't worry sweetheart," I chuckled, "it's not important. Obviously I'm going to be taking care of all our battery needs for the rest of eternity."

I ended up buying some of the powerless toys for Teddy. They would definitely work in his home and it would be nice for him to have some of the traditional muggle games. By the time I had paid for everything, Teddy had started to fade. He wasn't running ahead to the car anymore, he was resting his head on Bella's shoulder as she carried him back to the rental.

"Home time?" She whispered, gesturing to Teddy. I nodded my head in confirmation, not wanting to wake him up. He didn't stir once on the journey home – not even during the portkey back to Black Manor. After we had tucked him into our bed, Bella and I concentrated on wrapping the last minute Christmas gifts we had picked up in France. Well, Bella wrapped , I wasted a lot of paper and ribbon…

So far today, I had promised to buy Teddy a car – just to see the smile on his face each time we drove it. I then promised to buy a house, just so that he could watch cartoons.

As I looked at the utter contentment on my mate's face, I made one more promise; I vowed that in the not too distant future, I would propose to her…. And if I was really lucky, she might just say _yes._


	26. My first christmas

Bella was fast asleep by the time Remus came to collect Teddy. I had hoped that Emmett would allow her to sleep in a little this morning, seeing as it was Christmas, but by sunrise, he decided that he had waited to open his presents long enough.

"But Edward," he whined. "She's a _veela_, she doesn't need as much sleep as a human. She's been asleep for _ages!"_

"Emmett, I swear to _fuck_ if you wake up my baby girl I will shove that Christmas tree so far up your ass…" I threatened. He nodded his head, sadly, and I relaxed when his thoughts showed him giving up. However, a second later, he ran past me at mach speed towards my bedroom.

"Belly-boo!" He boomed. "Wake up! It's Christmas!"

_For fuck sake! _

I chased after him and managed to put him in a headlock, but it didn't make him quieter… if anything, he screamed louder.

"Emmett will you shut up! You're immortal – how can you be so impatient?" I fumed. My poor Bella walked out of our bedroom, rubbing her eyes, tiredly.

"What's going on?" She mumbled. I released Emmett's head, not wanting that sight to be the first thing she saw on Christmas morning.

"Nothing, love. Just trying to control my oaf of a brother." I explained. She nodded and strode past us, heading down to the kitchen. As soon as she was out of sight, I grabbed Emmett again.

"Ah dude, I'm sorry!" He squealed. One swift kick to the stomach was all it took to send him flying through the wall and into the library.

"No massacres this morning please, boys. I really don't feel like reassembling body parts on Christmas morning," Sirius murmured. Without looking up from his paper, he flicked his wand, lazily and repaired the giant crater in the wall.

"Come on," he smiled, "everyone will be waiting."

We followed him downstairs and I took a seat next to my Bella. The kitchen was overflowing with order members who had stayed over the night before. We were all going straight to the burrow from here after breakfast.

We finally put Emmett out of his misery and allowed him to open his many presents. I was still admiring the incredible watch that Bella had bought for me. Dro had explained that wizards always received one on their 17th birthday – it was sort of a right of passage.

I wasn't a wizard, but Bella decided that every year was my seventeenth birthday and that I deserved to have one. It was _incredible… _I would never buy a Rolex again! It was solid gold and hand twelve hands on the face – it even yelled at you if you were running late!

Dro and Sirius had bought me a whole new wardrobe of wizards clothing and dress robes. I was in the closet, pulling on my waistcoat when Bella came to stand next to me. My mouth hung open, ridiculously when I saw her.

She was dressed in a floor length red dress that hugged her figure, perfectly. Her hair was swept up into an elegant up-do… and most importantly, my mothers diamond necklace lay nestled on her chest.

"You look radiant, Bella," I whispered. She blushed sweetly and I wondered for the hundredth time, how anyone so beautiful could be so modest.

"You don't look so bad yourself, Mr. Masen," She smiled. Her eyes scanned my new clothes and I felt self-conscious under her gaze. I was about to go and change until I caught the scent of a wave of her arousal.

"I _love_ these," she whispered as she ran her hand over my new wizards robes. I leant in to steal a kiss, but was once again distracted by Emmett, who had appeared in our closet without any warning.

"Less of the kissy, kissy, you two! We have a party to go to!" He whined.

"Good grief, Emmett, will you give it a rest?" I asked. "You're like a bear with a sore head today."

We were dragged, unceremoniously down the stairs and were met by the rest of the family, who were waiting for us much more patiently than Emmett had been. I laughed when I caught Alice's thoughts. She was sulking at my new clothes – it hadn't occurred to her to replace her wardrobe. She felt as though she had missed out on a vital part of our integration to the wizarding world.

"Okay, you lot. Vampires – find yourself a wizard and hold on," Sirius instructed. I automatically grabbed Bella's left hand and Rosalie took her right one. Rosalie would let anyone else apparate her other than Bella. Ever since she had heard about flinching, she had been terrified that she was going to lost a limb.

"You look very beautiful, Rosalie," I told her honestly. Her whole face lit up at my compliment and I realised that she didn't hear things like that very often from Emmett. His idea of a flattering remark was to tell her that her 'ass looks sweet.'

"Ready, Rose?" Bella asked sweetly. Rosalie nodded her head just as Bella turned on the spot and pulled us into the crushing darkness. We re-appeared in the middle of a swap. Mile after mile of giant puddles and reeds obscured the view – it was beautiful, though.

"This is as close as I can get us," Bella apologised. "We're just outside the protection of the fidelius charm."

I glanced at the giant puddles and grimaced – both of the girls were wearing satin shoes. I can't imagine that they were supposed to get wet.

"Bella? Can you levitate yourself over the field?" I asked.

"Of course," She complied. Brilliant. I turned to Rosalie who had just noticed the giant swamp for herself.

"Rosalie – would you allow me to carry you across? You'll ruin your shoes in all this water." I explained.

Her dazzling smile reminded me once again just how infrequently Emmett would do things like this for her. It wasn't that he didn't _care_... it just didn't occur to him. My point was driven home when he barrelled past us, jumping into every pool of water he could find. I carried my sister as my mate flew over our heads, giggling.

"We're nearly there, now." Bella offered. I followed her line of sight and grinned when I saw what she was looking at. In front of us stood the burrow. It was immense in size! It looked like at least ten wooden cabins- all different shapes and sizes, that had been stuck on top of each other, precariously. There was no way it would have been structurally secure without magic. The whole thing looked as though it would fall over at any minute.

_I love magic..._

Once we were on the porch, Bella whipped out her wand and siphoned off the mud from my clothes. Emmett, however, didn't want to be cleaned.

"Emmett McCarty Cullen, come here. _Now!" _Bella said, firmly. He sulked the whole way over to her, mumbling the whole time she was cleaning him.

"You're going to be a brilliant mother one day, Bells." Jasper chuckled.

_Yes she is!_

I hadn't told the family about Bella's pre-cognitive dream, yet. I was saving our incredible news for a particularly sad day. It shouldn't take long – there was a war going on, after all.

Bella opened the front door without knocking and disappeared inside. The rest of us hesitated, not sure what to do.

"Shouldn't we knock?" Esme fretted. Sirius just shook his head at her;

"There is no need, Esme, truly. The burrow is a second home to Bella, just as Black manor is to Fred and George. Our families have been friends for years. Go straight on in," he instructed.

We were barely inside the door when Harry appeared at the bottom of the stairs. He walked straight over to me and gave me an unexpected hug. He had stayed at the Burrow with his friends for the last two nights.

"Merry Christmas, Edward," he grinned. "Come with me. Molly is hosting Christmas outside this year. There's too many people to have the party in the house."

He led us straight through the house and back out into the garden. A tiny, two-man tent was the only thing in sight for miles.

"Er, Harry?" Emmett questioned. "Where is everyone?"

Harry just chuckled and opened the tent door. He gestured for me to go in first, so I poked my head inside, wondering what on earth he was doing. My jaw hit the floor when I saw inside. This wasn't a tiny tent... this was an enormous marquee!

At least a forty people were sitting around an enormous table at the edge of the gazebo. Glasses and plates were floating around – there was even a _dance_ floor! As soon as Molly saw me, she came over and led me to the table.

"Merry Christmas, Molly," I said as I kissed her cheek. "This all looks incredible." She blushed at the compliment and fussed over me until she was certain that I had enough food on my plate.

Harry and Bella both came over to the table, holding identical packages.

"What do you think you've got this year, Bells?" Harry smiled as he tore into the parcel. At least ten packets of sweets and candy fell onto his lap, but he ignored them, and reached for what looked like a bright green jumper.

"This is excellent, Molly," he beamed. "Thank you!" He pulled the jumper over his head, proudly and I noticed the golden snitch that had been stitched onto the front of it. I turned my attention to Bella, who was tearing at her parcel, too.

She pulled out a baby pink jumper and threw it over her head – she had an angel embroidered on the front of hers. It looked ridiculous with her expensive ball gown, but she looked adorable, too. I ran my hand over the sleeve of her new pullover and blanched at the feel of it. It was so _soft!_

"It's incredible, right?" Bella smiled. "Molly makes them herself using spider wool. They are the most comfortable clothes in the whole world."

Molly seemed to blush further at the compliment, but I wasn't to be distracted;

"Molly," I called. "If I buy you some wool, will you make _me_ a jumper, too? I don't feel the cold but these are so _soft..." _ I wasn't joking, either. The only thing in the world that felt nicer in my hands was Bella.

Molly lowered her eyes and pulled a third parcel out from her lap, timidly. She passed it over to me and I read the name tag. It was mine!

"I didn't want you to feel obliged," she whispered. She looked so embarrassed... I pulled my parcel apart and slipped my own jumper over my head, proudly.

"It's perfect, Molly." I promised and kissed her forehead.

"I want a jumper, too!" Emmett whined.

"So do I, molly. Can I have one next year?" Jasper grinned.

Fred sighed and waved his wand – six more parcels flew through the opening of the tent. One landed on the laps of every member of my coven.

"You're being ridiculous, mum." Fred moaned. "The Cullen's aren't snobs. You know they'll love your jumpers."

We did, too. Every member of my coven worse their jumper with pride.

"Thanks Mrs. Weasley," Emmett grinned. "This has been the best Christmas _ever!"_

"This is your _first _Christmas, " Jasper laughed.

"What do you mean his 'first' Christmas?" Molly enquired. "What about when you were human?"

Emmett shook his head, sadly. "No, ma'am. My human father was a drunk. I've never had a Christmas before." Molly's eyes filled with tears at his admission and she walked straight over to Emmett and pulled him into a hug.

"Aw don't cry, Molly. Jasper had it worse! His father was so bad that he joined the confederate army to get away from him." Emmett informed her. Molly's head snapped to Jasper, who was looking a little sheepish.

"Jasper? Is that true?" Molly questioned.

"Er, yes ma'am. I think I was probably safer in battle than I ever was at home." He admitted.

"Oh heavens. Well not anymore," Molly informed them. "From now on, you shall always be welcome to come to Christmas in the Burrow..."

The rest of her sentence died on her lips when the door to the tent opened again. In strolled six of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. Not one of them had a patch on my Bella, but I knew that if I hadn't met her, I would have fallen at their feet. These women were _Veela._

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Harry push Ginny away from him. I wasn't quick enough to catch her and she landed on the floor with a thud. He marched into the centre of the empty dance floor and started spinning in circles as fast as he could.

I was about to ask Bella what the fuck he was doing, but I was distracted when Ron stood up on the table and started to juggled knives.

"Bella?" I asked. "What are they doing?"

Bella sighed and lay her head in her hands; "They're _Veela_, Edward. They're projecting their charms onto all the unmated males in the room. Harry and Ron couldn't resist, apparently."

"Okay, I understand that," I conceded. "But why is Harry spinning in circles?"

"He's trying to impress them, Edward. Ron is, too. They're not in their right minds." She explained.

I watched on in horror as Percy suddenly leapt from his seat and began a complicated jig – to no music whatsoever.

My head snapped to Bella as she groaned when she realised what I was about to say next;

"Baby? Can _you _do that?" I asked. She sighed and nodded her head.

"Of course I can..." she trailed off in disgust.

"Will you show me?" I asked.

"You want me to project my charms onto the men in the room?" She asked in horror.

"Don't you fucking dare," I growled. The idea of her trying to seduce anyone other than me made my long dormant blood, boil. "I want you to project it onto me... _only me,_ Bella."

She sighed and nodded her head before standing up and walking to the other side of the marquee. I was about to ask what she was doing, but Sirius and William dragged me to a chair and pinned me down, trapping me there. I stopped struggling the moment I heard the music.

My eyes scanned the room frantically as I tried to locate its source. In this moment, there was nothing more important to me than finding that sound. It was hauntingly beautiful...

The entire world faded away when I saw an Angel on the other side of the tent. She was ethereal in her beauty – so dauntingly perfect that I could hardly breathe. I tried to stand up, wanting to go to her, but my arms were trapped.

'_Edward.'_ The girl whispered. _'Come to me, Edward.'_

I struggled against my restraints, wanting _desperately_ to give this girl any thing she wanted. I was her to command, completely.

'_Don't you want me, Edward?' _She whispered, turning away from me slightly.

'_Yes, sweet Angel!' _ I screamed. _'I want you, my love. Please don't turn away from me! I'm coming to you!'_

I thrashed against my restraints and managed to break free. I was half way across the tent when I was tackled once more. I landed on the floor and screamed in frustration when I realised that I couldn't move again.

'_Do you not want me, Edward? Should I find another man? Someone who will fulfil my every need?'_ her soft voice crooned.

'_NO! DON'T LEAVE ME!' _I roared. The idea of her needing someone else was abhorrent to me. I slammed my fists into the floor and tried to dig my way out of my restraints. I looked back at the Angel, but she was _gone..._

In her place, stood thirty members of the order of the phoenix –who were all standing in a circle around me laughing their assess off. I tried to work out what was so funny until I realised that I was no longer in my chair.

I was laying on the floor in the middle of the marquee with my fists buried into the ground. I really _had_ been trying to dig my way to the Angel. More important than this, however, was the fact that I had William, Sirius, Emmett, Jasper and Remus on top of me – all trying to hold me in place.

"What the _fuck_ just happened? I asked in confusion. This only made everyone laugh harder. Bella walked over to me and helped me up off the floor while everyone else fell about in hysterics.

"Baby?" I whispered. "I don't understand..." my voice sounded small and terrified, even to me. Bella pulled me into a hug and whispered into my ear, too low for anyone else to hear.

"Do you remember asking me to demonstrate Veela seduction on you, Edward?" She asked.

"_That's_ what that was?" I questioned in horror. She nodded her head, sadly and I held her a little tighter. Good grief, no wonder she was reluctant to show me. How on earth did those viper home-wreckers _live_ with themselves? I had never been more glad that Bella was nothing like her relatives in my life.

I spent the rest of the afternoon observing the Veela's. They sat at the end of the table, speaking in rapid French. Either they didn't realise that my family could understand them, or they just didn't care –but they were displeased with everything they saw. None of Molly's kindness was good enough for them.

_I didn't like them one bit..._

The afternoon soon faded away into darkness. I spent most of the day talking to Sev, who had turned up eventually. But once Bella yawned, we decided to take her home.

My first Christmas in a hundred years had been so much more than I could ever have hoped for. It was _perfect. _As I tucked my little witch into her bed, I could only think of one thing.

This woman had given me _everything. _


	27. Kreacher is certain

The rest of the Christmas holidays passed by in a blur and before I knew it, we were back at Hogwarts again. Over the last few weeks, the Order had received intelligence that Voldemort was on the move. We didn't know his current location, but we knew that either way, the battle was going to happen sooner rather than later.

As a result, Bella had been working round the clock to make sure that the castle was ready for battle. She gave up her lessons last week – she just didn't have time for them any more. By night, she was brewing and bottling health potions. By day, she she went out into the grounds with Fred and George to place booby traps for the unsuspecting death eaters.

Right now, we were in the Great Hall. The students were eating their dinner, oblivious to the growing concern that was brewing in the Order. My poor Bella was slumped over her untouched dinner. I vowed that as soon as my guard shift was over, I would be taking her to bed. If she didn't sleep soon, she would make herself ill.

A loud crack pulled me from my thoughts – a house elf ran between the tables and went straight for my Bella.

"Miss Bella – you must wake up!" The house elf, begged. Bella's eyes widened in surprise when she saw who was standing before her.

"Kreacher? Are you sure? You must be certain," she stressed. The house elf bobbed his head, frantically and Bella paled, visibly. Was this it? Bella strolled calmly over to Dumbledore, who had watched the entire exchange with a keen eye.

"Professor – it's time," she whispered. Albus rose from his seat with a speed to great for a man of his age. His voice boomed over the Great Hall and every single student fell respectfully silent;

"Children, it has been brought to my attention that we are experiencing a bit of a situation down in the dungeons. It would appear that we have suffered a toxic spillage. Now, I don't want you to panic – you are perfectly safe, but just to be cautious, we are going to evacuate you until it has been taken care of. Prefects? If you could escort your houses to the third corridor, please." He commanded.

The students began to file out, unaware of just how much danger they would be in if they didn't hurry up. One boy – a seventh year from Ravenclaw stood up and shouted over the hubbub;

"Professor? If we are of age, may we stay? We would like to help you with that toxic spillage, sir." He explained. From the tone of his voice, I knew that he had deduced _exactly_ what was happening – in fact, _most_ of the seventh years had. Dumbledore's face beamed with pride at the boy;

"If you are of age, you may stay – though you are under no obligation," he insisted. Immediately every seventh year student from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw took their seats. The moment the last prefect left the room, Dumbledore addressed the crowd;

"Isabella, please alert your family. Most of the order are at your home," he asked. She nodded and raised her wand. A silvery patronus shot from inside it and turned to face her;

"It's time," was all she whispered. The mountain lion ran from the room and she turned her attention back to the professor.

"Fred, George, Bella? This is where we are relying on you, I'm afraid. Please do what you need to do to protect our school. Enable any defensive measures that you have set up," he commanded. The three stood on the table and began chanting rapid curses – all of them were unfamiliar to me.

"Alistair, assemble our strongest fighters outside in the courtyard. Everyone else, find somewhere in the castle to mount your fight. To all of you, good luck and God speed!"

As soon as he finished talking, everyone fled the room. I grabbed Bella's hand and tugged her outside where William and Sirius were waiting with my family. Sirius rounded on us and grabbed Bella's free hand;

"Now you two be careful, okay?" He instructed. "If you get into trouble – _run_. Nothing heroic."

Bella nodded her head absentmindedly. "Daddy, please – I have to finish setting up the counter defences." She kissed her father on the cheek and carried on with her wand work. Sirius watched her, with tears in his eyes.

"She'll be alright, Sirius," I murmured.

"She's dreamt it?" he pressed, urgently. I nodded and examined my shoes.

"She showed me, Sirius. I've seen her future mapped out for the next twenty years."

He gasped and fresh tears fell from his eyes. "What did she see?" He questioned timidly.

"She saw our children, Sirius. She showed me your grandchildren." I said – an unconscious smile creeping onto my face... the same smile I got whenever I thought of my babies.

"Grandchildren?" He whispered.

"Anthony and Masen will come first – twins. A few years later, we will be gifted with a daughter, Elizabeth." I whispered, reverently.

Esme, Alice and Rosalie flew into my and hugged me fiercely.

"Why didn't you _say_ anything?" Alice chastised.

"I was saving it for a moment like this. I thought it would come in handy when things we feeling particularly blue." I grinned.

Alice, Rosalie and Esme immediately launched into plans for the children.

"She's not even _pregnant_ yet!" Emmett yelled. "He has to knock her up first! Besides – shouldn't we be concentrating on the death eaters that are heading this way?"

I heard the resounding thwack, but was amazed to see that it was Sirius who had struck him. He just shrugged;

"Someone has to give poor Rosalie's hand a break." He laughed.

I could not have saved my news for a better moment. Even on the cusp of battle, our family were excitedly planning the next phase in our lives. But, even the very best of news, could not have distracted us from the almighty explosion that came from the forest.

Fred and George appeared in front of us, grinning from ear to ear;

"That'll be the death eaters dealing with the last of our fireworks," Fred smiled.

"Over a thousand rockets – all stuck together. BOOM!" He winked.

They ran off laughing just as Bella came back over. It was a proud moment – to see a line of supernatural creatures protecting the humans that hid inside the castle. We all sank into a simultaneous crouch when we heard the thundering footfalls of Voldemort's army. The very moment the first death eater broke through the trees, the Order let out a deafening war cry... and charged.


	28. Good men go to war

I stayed close to Bella as we ran at the crowd – even though her pre-cognitive dreams had shown her surviving the war, my mating instinct simply wouldn't let her out of my sight.

I cornered my first few death eaters and offered them the benefit of the doubt. I didn't kill them, I just simply took their wands from their hands and shoved them into my pocket. I moved over to the next unsuspecting group and did the same. I let out a huge guffaw at the expression on their faces. I had moved too quickly for them to see me… they couldn't work out where their wands were.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bella duelling two death eaters on her own. _Well I'm not having that._ I ran towards her, but stopped when I heard Emmett let out a huge scream.

"Mother fucker!" He yelled as he ran towards me. "Dude – run like you're being chased! The assholes have giant fucking _spiders_!"

I would have laughed at him if I hadn't seen one of them out of the corner of my eye. Mother of fuck – he wasn't kidding. I'm slightly ashamed to admit that I caught up with Emmett and screamed like a girl the whole way back to the castle.

My eyes scanned the crowds, searching for Bella, but she wasn't here. I grabbed Sirius by the arm to get his attention;

"Bella?" I questioned. He shook his head and grimaced.

"I've not seen her son. She was duelling a couple of wizards but she disappeared over the top of the castle with them following her."

"Fuck it!" I should never have let her out of my sight. Minerva ran forwards, clutching her heart;

"Get these people into the castle and lock the doors. We can't fight the acromantula – there are too many…" she whispered. In seconds the vampires had managed to flash in and out of the castle, bringing people to safety.

I didn't bother asking permission before I picked them up – I was trying to fight a war here. As the last person was carried inside, I watched in horror as the Order shut and locked the immense wooden doors;

"What are you _doing?" _I screamed. "Bella is out there!" I ran towards the door, fully intending to wrench it open, but William and Sirius dragged me back.

"Edward if you open those doors now, every person in this room will die, son. Bella will be fine – there are other ways into the castle," he murmured, frantically. I shook his arms off of me and pushed away from him. I didn't give a shit about anyone else in the room – I just wanted my Bella.

"Acromantula!" One of the wizards shouted from the other side of the hall.

"Acro-what?" Rosalie asked in confusion.

"Giant fucking spiders, babe," Emmett nodded. I took one look at his serious face and lost my shit. I was in the middle of the biggest battle on the face of the planet and I couldn't find my mate – but even with all that going on, Emmett still had me laughing. I absentmindedly backhanded the closest death eater and enjoyed the sound of his bones crunching as he hit the wall.

"That wasn't very nice, Edward," Fred teased. He ran past me with his wand in front of him. He was currently instructing several suits of armour to attack any 'slimy gits' they could find. I gave him a swift fist bump before running over to Arthur, who was duelling a werewolf.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Harry run in with two death eaters right behind him. His wand flashed through the air at immense speed – Bella would have been so proud if she could see him now. A single red flash took out one of the death eaters. He flew in an arc through the air, before landing on the floor with an unceremonious thud.

The second death eater raised his wand before Harry could recover. He just wasn't going to have a chance to defend himself. I raced over to him and pulled him out of the way, just as we heard a cry of 'Avada Kedavra.'

The green shot flew through the air and singed the wall right where Harry's head had been moments ago. I stood up, sheltering Harry behind me as I prepared my attack – but my attention was redirected when I saw Bella in my peripheral vision. Her hair was windswept, her eyes were coal-black... she looked _feral. _

"You made a _grave_ error when you raised your wand at these men," she growled. "One is my brother, the other is my mate – _both_ are under my protection," she hissed. A single growl was all she offered the death eater before she incinerated him, instantly.

"That was _badass_, Belly-boo!" Emmett cheered from the other side of the hall. I ran over to her and swept her into my arms, kissing her face wherever I could reach her.

"I've been so worried about you," I groaned. "Where the fuck have you been?"

"On the other side of the castle with Carlisle and Esme. We were attacked by giants – we couldn't get back to you. I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Never mind that now – come on, we need to help the Order." I tugged on her hand and ran out of the hall. Now that Carlisle and Esme were in there, we were free to help everyone else around the castle.

We got no further than the corridor before the sickeningly cruel voice of Voldemort boomed through the castle;

"You have fought valiantly, but in vain. I do not wish this. Every drop of magical blood spilt is a terrible waste. I, therefore, command my forces to retreat. In their absence, dispose of your dead with dignity. Harry Potter, I now speak directly to you. On this night, you have allowed your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. There is no greater dishonour. Join me in the Forbidden Forest and confront your fate. If you do not do this, I shall kill every last man, woman and child who tries to conceal you from me. You have one hour."

"Shit," Bella hissed. "We need to get to Harry, _now_! I know my brother, he'll be in that forest sacrificing himself before you can say 'Quidditch.'"

We ran back into the hall looking for Harry, but we needn't have worried. It would appear that Molly Weasley had the same idea as Bella. She was gripping Harry by the ear and ordering him to stay put. Shit, I'm a vampire and I was scared of her. Note to self: do _not_ piss off Molly Weasley.

Bella and I separated, then. Dumbledore had asked us to search the castle for any injured wizards who needed our help. I carried a man named Oliver Wood into the infirmary – apparently he had been hit with a skin shrinking curse. I tried not to laugh, but he looked like a raisin.

Several ear splitting screams met my ears and I ran to the hall to see what was wrong. When I walked through the large doors, I realised that the Great Hall had been transformed in my absence. The tables were gone, now – in their place were the remains of the people who had died fighting Voldemort.

I walked along the row, slowly. I felt numb... I _knew_ these people. I spoke to most of them on a daily basis.

_Colin Creevy..._

_Dedalus Diggle..._

_Katie Bell..._

_Susan Bones..._

_Lavender Brown..._

My heart clenched uncomfortably in my chest when I saw my Bella crouched on the ground. Sirius held her tightly to his chest as tears ran down her face, freely. I followed her gaze and recoiled when I saw who she was mourning.

Not two feet from me, lay the bodies of Remus and Nymphadora. They were so _peaceful_ in their death – they looked as though they were merely sleeping. For the first time since I had reawakened as a vampire, I felt _sick. _As much as it saddened me that they had died, there was nothing I could do for them now.

No – my thoughts were not with them... I could only think about Teddy. My little buddy was at home in his bed – warm and safe as he slept. He had no idea that tonight had been the last time his parents would ever tuck him into his bed.

Anger flared through me on his behalf... absolute red fucking rage. I vowed that I would find out who separated that little boy from his parents – and I would end them... _slowly. _

I walked over to my little witch and pulled her out of William's grasp. I wasn't trying to separate her from her grandfather, but William looked as though he could use a break. He nodded at me in thanks an walked away, clenching his fists as he went.

"I'm so sorry, my love," I whispered. My little Bella shook as violent sobs ripped through her chest.

"Th- they're gone, Edward. Gone... a-and my little T-Teddy..." she stammered. She was gasping for breath so fiercely that I was worried that she may pass out.

"I know, love. I know – but I need you to take some slow breaths for me, okay? Please, love – try to calm your heart a little." I murmured. She complied – for which I was eternally grateful. I was about to find Madam Pomfrey and ask her to administer one of the calming solutions that Bella herself had brewed last month.

"Where's Harry?" Sirius asked with a note of confusion. "He was here a moment ago." We all looked around in confusion, but Bella stiffened in my arms.

"I'm going to kill him!" She seethed. "Such a bloody sacrificial martyr!"

Realisation dawned on me and I knew where he had gone – so did Molly, who was practically steaming at the ears. "Dumbledore has gone, too," She growled.

"So what do we do?" Emmett asked.

"We do nothing," William murmured. "If Albus has taken the boy to Voldemort, he must have had his reasons. We just have to trust him."

An hour passed in silence as we mourned our friends. Voldemort hadn't returned – neither had Harry or Albus.

"There are people coming," William whispered. "Listen – I can hear their footsteps... _hundreds_ of them!"

Sirius jumped up from his seat, "Warn the others," he whispered. I took Bella by the hand and we followed him. The order and my family, the students and their relatives, all walked out through the large oak doors one final time, to meet our fate.

We crowded into the courtyard an paused at the scene that was on display in front of us. Voldemort still had an impossibly strong army consisting of many creatures – but more important than that, was the figure of Rubeus Hagrid, who stood in the centre of the courtyard, carrying the body of Harry Potter.

Hundreds of cries wrenched through the air... endless screams of disbelief and pain filled the vast grounds as everyone recognised the loss of a truly remarkable young man.

"He's not dead," Bella whispered. "His heart is beating – I can _hear_ it," she murmured. My entire family strained their ears to confirm what she was saying. She was right...

_He was alive..._

"So what do we do, now?" I asked her.

"Kill the snake," Bella replied. "It's the last Horcrux. If we run at it, he wont even see us coming. I'll grab it, you bite it."

"Bite it? I thought it had to be destroyed by fiendfyre?" I asked. Bella shook her head and sank into a low crouch.

"Vampire venom, baby. It will destroy a Horcrux, too." I nodded my head and sank into a crouch next to her.

"On three," she whispered. "One... two... _THREE!" _

I ran at full speed across the courtyard towards the snake. Bella grabbed it with both of her hands and thrust it towards my mouth. I didn't hesitate for a moment – I allowed the venom to pool into my mouth and I sunk my teeth into it's cold, scaly skin.

I watched in horror as the snake veered it's head towards Bella and bit her wrist. She hadn't been able to defend herself.

Voldemort finally saw us standing there and let out a shrill, keening scream of disbelief.

"Edward, get her to Madam Pomfrey!" I looked around for the source of the voice and realised that it belonged to Harry. He jumped down from Hagrids arms and raised his wand directly at Voldemort.

"No one help me," he spoke. "It's got to be like this... it's got to be me."

I didn't stick around to hear any more. I pulled Bella into my arms and raced her to the infirmary. Poppy ran straight over to me and helped my to lay Bella on the bed.

"What happened?" She asked, brusquely.

"Nagini – Voldemorts snake... it _bit _her." I explained in a rush. Madam Pomfrey disappeared into a cupboard and came back out with a vial of anti-venom potion.

"She'll be okay, Edward. In a few hours time, she'll be right as rain."

Relief wracked my frame and I allowed myself to sink onto the bed next to Bella. Less than ten minutes later, Sirius and William ran into the room.

"Is she okay?"

"Edward, will she be alright?"

I smiled at them and nodded. "She's going to be just fine," I whispered. "What's happening out there?" I gestured to the courtyard.

"It's over," William breathed. "Harry himself ended it – Voldemort killed himself with his own rebounding curse."

I was too mentally drained to celebrate this news. I was mourning the loss of so many... and dreading the thought of explaining everything to Teddy. The war may be have been over, but my story with Bella? It was only just beginning...

* * *

**AN: So that's it! There is a sequel to Spellbound Heart. It's unedited at the moment and full of typos. If people want to read it, can you review and let me know? Obviously I don't want to waste time editing a story that no one will read lol . Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my story – especially those of you who left a review or added it to your favourites. It means a lot! Thepinkcupcake.**


	29. Chapter 29

**AN: The first chapter to the sequel will be posted today. Please see my profile. The story is called 'Enough for forever.' I hope you all enjoy it! thepinkcupcake**


End file.
